Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 287-299 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2019 |
Abstract
Online dialogue has tremendous potential to influence intergroup relations in conflict-ridden societies. Although prior research has identified intergroup harmony and justice as two distinct approaches to intergroup contact, little is known about whether online dialogue would foster a harmony- or justiceoriented discourse around conflict. To examine this question, the present study implemented a pre-post within-subjects design around a 4-week online dialogue intervention with Bosniaks and Serbs in the postconflict context of former Yugoslavia. Analyses of pre-post surveys suggest that the dialogue may have fostered a justice-oriented discourse among both Bosniaks and Serbs, who showed greater group identification and demands for justice after the dialogue compared to before the dialogue. There was also lower support for the goal of improving relationships and higher prioritization of discussions of justice after the dialogue. Exploring the linguistic content of the dialogue during the 4-week intervention further revealed that expressions of anger and anxiety decreased, whereas time orientations toward the present increased over time, suggesting that the justice-focused dialogue was not necessarily accompanied by explicit hostility over past atrocities. These findings help inform future interventions in postconflict societies, especially the use of online platforms to shape the discourse of conflict.
Keywords
- Intergroup conflict, Intergroup dialogue, Intervention, Justice, Online communication
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Political Science and International Relations
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In: Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, Vol. 25, No. 4, 11.2019, p. 287-299.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Wedialog.Net
T2 - A quantitative field test of the effects of online intergroup dialogue in promoting justice- versus harmony-oriented outcomes in Bosnia and Serbia
AU - Selvanathan, Helma Preya
AU - Leidner, Bernhard
AU - Petrovic, Nebojša
AU - Prelic, Nedim
AU - Ivanek, Ivan
AU - Krugel, Johannes Arno
AU - Bjekić, Jovana
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 American Psychological Association. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - Online dialogue has tremendous potential to influence intergroup relations in conflict-ridden societies. Although prior research has identified intergroup harmony and justice as two distinct approaches to intergroup contact, little is known about whether online dialogue would foster a harmony- or justiceoriented discourse around conflict. To examine this question, the present study implemented a pre-post within-subjects design around a 4-week online dialogue intervention with Bosniaks and Serbs in the postconflict context of former Yugoslavia. Analyses of pre-post surveys suggest that the dialogue may have fostered a justice-oriented discourse among both Bosniaks and Serbs, who showed greater group identification and demands for justice after the dialogue compared to before the dialogue. There was also lower support for the goal of improving relationships and higher prioritization of discussions of justice after the dialogue. Exploring the linguistic content of the dialogue during the 4-week intervention further revealed that expressions of anger and anxiety decreased, whereas time orientations toward the present increased over time, suggesting that the justice-focused dialogue was not necessarily accompanied by explicit hostility over past atrocities. These findings help inform future interventions in postconflict societies, especially the use of online platforms to shape the discourse of conflict.
AB - Online dialogue has tremendous potential to influence intergroup relations in conflict-ridden societies. Although prior research has identified intergroup harmony and justice as two distinct approaches to intergroup contact, little is known about whether online dialogue would foster a harmony- or justiceoriented discourse around conflict. To examine this question, the present study implemented a pre-post within-subjects design around a 4-week online dialogue intervention with Bosniaks and Serbs in the postconflict context of former Yugoslavia. Analyses of pre-post surveys suggest that the dialogue may have fostered a justice-oriented discourse among both Bosniaks and Serbs, who showed greater group identification and demands for justice after the dialogue compared to before the dialogue. There was also lower support for the goal of improving relationships and higher prioritization of discussions of justice after the dialogue. Exploring the linguistic content of the dialogue during the 4-week intervention further revealed that expressions of anger and anxiety decreased, whereas time orientations toward the present increased over time, suggesting that the justice-focused dialogue was not necessarily accompanied by explicit hostility over past atrocities. These findings help inform future interventions in postconflict societies, especially the use of online platforms to shape the discourse of conflict.
KW - Intergroup conflict
KW - Intergroup dialogue
KW - Intervention
KW - Justice
KW - Online communication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067825619&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/pac0000395
DO - 10.1037/pac0000395
M3 - Article
VL - 25
SP - 287
EP - 299
JO - Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology
JF - Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology
SN - 1532-7949
IS - 4
ER -