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Joe and Trolls

Nick

Posted: October 22, 2009 03:23 am

IRC Nickname: Lefty
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 3340
Member No.: 1055
Joined: June 30, 2008
Total Events Attended: 211

QUOTE	LifeHacker)

In a study conducted at Stanford, psychologists discovered that people who hold extreme opinions are more likely to voice them loudly than those who hold moderate opinions. At last, science has explained most of what you read on the internet.

Ohio State professor Kimberly Rios Morrison polled Stanford University students about what they thought about students drinking alcohol. What she discovered was that the students with the most extreme pro-alcohol stance expressed their opinions most readily, in general because they believed that they were voicing the majority opinion. But polls showed that the majority of students had a moderate to anti-alcohol stance. When pro-alcohol students were shown evidence that most people didn't support their views, they were far more reluctant to express their extreme opinions.

Said Morrison:

It is only when they have this sense that they are in the majority that extremely pro-alcohol students are more willing to express their views on the issue.

Sounds like this study explains internet trolling and flame wars too. People with extreme views who are extremely loud about them manage to delude themselves into thinking everybody agrees. Morrison added:

You have a cycle that feeds on itself: the more you hear these extremists expressing their opinions, the more you are going to believe that those extreme beliefs are normal for your community.

No word yet on how to break the cycle. But we can only hope further research will lead to a simple way to cure extremists of their belief that everybody shares their opinions and wants them to keep talking.

via Ohio State

http://io9.com/5387029/stanford-study-expl...internet-trolls

I wonder if Joe had a part in this study. Kinda interesting though. Those that think they are part of the majority are those that are the better trolls.

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Sithofwookie

Posted: October 22, 2009 03:39 am

IRC Nickname: Sithofwookie
Group: Ex-Member
Posts: 2842
Member No.: 815
Joined: June 11, 2008
Total Events Attended: 48

For freakin' sakes I think I have fleas.

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Quikdrawjoe

Posted: October 22, 2009 03:30 pm

IRC Nickname:
Group: Elite Guardian
Posts: 7306
Member No.: 47
Joined: December 30, 2007
Total Events Attended: 343

Nope not my area though interesting side note. If you get a homogeneous group of people their opinions will become more extreme. Eg. A group of Democrats will become more liberal.

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July 5, 2007 - June 27, 2011

WG_Keanu

Posted: October 22, 2009 03:42 pm

IRC Nickname: DG_Keanu
Group: Council
Posts: 4782
Member No.: 2033
Joined: August 25, 2009
Total Events Attended: 173

QUOTE	Dr Von Dark @ October 22, 2009 04:39 am)

For freakin' sakes I think I have fleas.

I just put a new flea collar on my cat. It has a bell

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[05:42] <+WG_Keanu> I think I got a semi just looking at the pic
[05:42] <%kat> same