Twitter wars: Bipolarization, hostile emotional expressions and group formation on Twitter

Despite the Internet’s potential to connect people from all walks of life, Internet use has been linked to increased extremity of opinions, thereby contributing to societal problems ranging from antipathy between groups to radicalization and terrorism. This project focuses on bipolarization in online discussions as an online phenomenon that may divide people, increase hostility between groups, and lead to the formation of extreme opinion groups. Bipolarization is the division of a larger group into two subgroups that hold opposite and increasingly extreme opinions. I will test an emotion-based account that construes bipolarization as a self-perpetuating cycle of intergroup conflict reinforced by specific emotional expressions (anger, contempt, and disgust). Three studies will combine big data methodology (sentiment analysis and social network analysis) with a novel operationalization of bipolarization in online Twitter discussions. The studies will (1) identify which emotional expressions contribute to bipolarization, (2) determine the extent to which networks form on either pole in a bipolarized discussion, and (3) clarify the moderating role of pre-existing group memberships. These insights may contribute to the development of effective online intergroup contact programs aimed at improving intergroup relations and help governments to more effectively anticipate and understand the societal implications of Internet use.