The
Management Department
Department
Seminar Series
SAMEER SRIVASTAVA
UC BERKELEY
Monday, October 29th
2018
Room LE
CLUB at 10:00 am
Theme: “Dampening
the Echo: Receptiveness to Opposing Views, Majority-Minority Distance, and
Network Homogeneity”
Abstract: Social worlds often splinter into echo
chambers as people preferentially form ties to others who hold similar
political views and avoid affiliating with those who disagree with them. Group
composition often contributes to this dynamic, with those in the ideological
majority being less likely than those in the minority to form relationships
with ideological opponents. This article examines how an individual
difference—receptiveness to opposing views—can counteract these tendencies and
thereby dampen the echo in some chambers. We develop a theoretical account of
how micro-level differences in receptiveness can give rise to macro-level
patterns of network heterogeneity. In particular, we theorize that prospective
interaction partners who are more mutually receptive will be less prone to
forming ties on the basis of political homophily or triadic closure. In groups with
majority and minority factions, we further propose that mutual receptiveness
will increase the propensity of group members in the political majority to form
ties with minority group members. We evaluate and find support for these ideas
using field data from three sites that vary in political orientation, analyzing
tens of thousands of dyads composed of 599 participants. We discuss
implications for research on individual differences and networks, attitude
polarization, and group composition.
