%0 Journal Article
%T Societal Majority, Facebook, and the Spiral of Silence in the 2016 US Presidential Election
%A Francis Dalisay
%A Masahiro Yamamoto
%A Matthew J. Kushin
%J Social Media + Society
%@ 2056-3051
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/2056305119855139
%X The 2016 US presidential election was highly contentious, as both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, received strong polarizing support and opposition with controversial campaigns, name-calling, and violence at campaign rallies. This may have contributed to an opinion climate where citizens were reluctant to express support for a candidate. This study tests the spiral of silence theory in the context of this election. We examine the interplay among opinion congruency, fear of isolation, and willingness to express support for a candidate. Data from an online survey show that opinion congruency for Clinton in society at large, and for Trump on Facebook, had indirect associations with willingness to express support for a candidate face-to-face, on Facebook, and in anonymous online settings through fear of isolation
%K spiral of silence
%K fear of isolation
%K social media
%K Facebook
%K anonymity
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305119855139