The Negative Effect of Flaming on Learning From Political News

• In Event: News Audiences: New Findings

Abstract

The present study investigated how flaming in online news environments affects learning through elaboration. More specifically, two online experiments (n=312) were used to assess whether individuals who have been exposed to hostile comments beneath political news online acquire more or less knowledge from the content they encounter. OLS regression models and t-tests were used to determine the nature of the effects of flaming, credibility and political ideology on elaboration. Overall, the present data show that flaming had a negative effect on perceptions of news credibility and elaboration, and that elaboration predicts two of the three tested dimensions of learning. Together the results of the present study shed light on the benefits and drawbacks of online comments and further emphasize the importance of finding new ways to keep online discussions civil.

Author

• Jan Boehmer, University of Miami