OPINION CLIMATE PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS

Abstract

The convergence of mass media and interpersonal sources on social media platforms, known as “mass-interpersonal” sources, give rise to media and social informational cues, allowing users to perceive opinion climates on social media. Basing the investigation on a specific morally-laden contentious issue facing society, 10 focus groups were carried out to uncover the influence of individual-group processes on opinion climate formation and evaluation. Findings reveal users blending mass-interpersonal sources and cues, adopting ideologicalbased evaluation, and engaging in strategies to counteract ambiguities when blending such mass-interpersonal sources as opinion indicators. Implications and directions for future opinion climate research on social media are discussed.