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butthurt [soylentnews.org] writes:

The Washington Post [washingtonpost.com] reports on a psychological study [sagepub.com] (PDF) in which participants (matchd in gender, age, education, and income to the U.S. population) were shown a neutrally written, fictional news item, then asked about their willingness to express an opinion on the topic via social media. Some participants were shown a message telling them that the National Security Agency undertakes online surveillance. Those receiving the message were, unsurprisingly, less willing to express what they felt were unpopular opinions. Participants who saw the message, perceived that their opinions were unpopular, agreed that surveillance is desirable, and stated they had "nothing to hide" were the least willing to express themselves.

The study sought to investigate whether, and how, a "spiral of silence [wikipedia.org]" phenomenon, in which members of a social group suppress their own unpopular views, could arise in an online setting.and be influenced by knowledge of surveillance.

Original Submission