The Politically Demobilizing Role of Conflict Avoidance for Participation, Efficacy, and Attention to Information Sources

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session and Reception
  In Interactive Paper Session: Political Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Through the years, communication scholars have investigated the impact of conflict avoidance on communication behaviors, and a small but growing handful of studies suggest that it may serve as an impediment for certain types of political behaviors. Yet few studies have examined the politically demobilizing role of conflict avoidance in contexts outside of the continental United States. As such, in the present study, data are analyzed from a probability-based mail survey of registered voters (N = 319) in the remote Western Pacific Island of Guam. Findings revealed that conflict avoidance is inversely associated with voters’ political participation, political efficacy, civic engagement, and attention to the Internet and interpersonal sources regarding a political issue. However, conflict avoidance was not associated with neighborliness, arguably, a less confrontational form of engagement. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Francis Dalisay, University of Hawaii at Manoa

• Matthew James Kushin, Shepherd U

• Masahiro Yamamoto, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse