How echo chambers can lead to acceptance of violence

“Echo chambers” are places online or in real life where people are surrounded exclusively by others who share their beliefs and reinforce their own worldview. An experiment at COBE Lab by Steffen Selmer investigated the link between echo chambers and political violence.

The Experiment

188 participants were presented with policy proposals that conflicted with their pre-existing attitudes on two political issues: immigration and the climate.

Some of the participants were asked to sit by themselves and consider the proposals while others were asked to discuss them with three to six other participants who shared their beliefs about both issues.

Afterwards, the participants were each asked to consider whether violence is a legitimate means to reach one’s political goals.

Findings

Steffen found that participants who had discussed the policy proposals with others who shared their beliefs—that is, in an echo chamber—had more extreme political attitudes and were more likely to condone political violence.

Thus, it may have dangerous consequences for society at large if politically aggrieved people only surround themselves and engage with others who share their political grievances.

The study was called “Accepting Violence? A Laboratory Experiment of the Violent Consequences of Deliberation in Politically Aggrieved Enclaves” and was published in the journal Terrorism and Political Violence in 2022.