Dr. Marquita L. Byrd marquita.byrd@sjsu.edu

Communication StudiesMulticultural CommunicationSan Jose State University

Spiral of Silence Theory

Chapter Overview SST at a Glance Introduction The Court of Public Opinion Assumptions of SST The Media’s Influence The Train Test The Hard Core Integration and Critique

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann

German political scientist contributed

the famous model called “Spiral of

Silence”. Through this Spiral of

Silence theory Neumann indirectly

explains the Jews status during World

War II under Nazi’s control. Jews were

a minority and silenced through

extermination. While Adolf Hitler

dominated the whole society there

were many Germans who did not

support his regime, but became

vocally silent for fear for their lives

and the lives of their children.

However many resisted though other

means

1916-2010

Introduction People with a minority viewpoint remain in the

background • Communication will be constrained

People with a majority viewpoint become more encouraged to speak

The Court of Public Opinion Noelle-Neumann founded and directed Allensbach Institute The Spiral of Silence: Public Opinion-Our Social Skin,

separates public opinion into• Public • Opinion

Public opinion is the attitudes and behaviors expressed in public in order to avoid isolation

SST at a Glance Media have profound effects on public

opinion Mass media work with majority opinion to

silence minority beliefs Fear of isolation prompts those with

minority views to examine beliefs of others

Assumptions of SST The fear of isolation causes individuals to

try to assess the climate of opinions at all times. The fear of retribution, the fear of physical harm, the fear of punishment, the fear of annihilation.• Individuals receive information about public opinion from

Personal observation The media

Example of The Spiral of Silence

The Media’s Influence The media are

• Ubiquitous (everywhere)• Cumulative (add up)• Consonant (match each other)

People experience the climate of public opinion through the mass media• Movies, TV programs, news, entertainment

programs, books, social media, magazines

The Train Test An assessment of the extent people will speak out

The question: At the beginning of a 5-hour train ride, a person sits next to you and starts discussing the problems of food safety. Would you talk or not talk about the topic to the person?

Results of The Train TestFindings Supporters of the dominant opinion are more

willing to speak out Men from large cities, aged 45-59 are more willing

to speak out Various ways of speaking out exist People share their opinions more with those who

agree

The Train Test

Findings, continued People will voice an opinion if it aligns

with current trends People draw the strength of their

convictions from a variety of sources People engage in “last-minute

swings”

Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson 1837.

A vain Emperor who cares for nothing except wearing and displaying clothes hires two swindlers who promise him the finest, best suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "hopelessly stupid". Finally the swindlers report that the suit is finished, and they mime dressing him. The Emperor's ministers cannot see the clothing themselves, but pretend that they can for fear of appearing unfit for their positions. The Emperor marches in procession before his subjects. The townsfolk play along with the pretense not wanting to appear unfit for their positions or stupid. Then a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurts out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor cringes, suspecting the assertion is true, but continues the procession.

The one who speaks out, the lone voice or committed few can change public opinion across time.

They are The Hard Core Usually small groups of people who commit

themselves to sustained, focused resistance again some type of oppression. (Could even be one person)

The hard core moved public opinion on AIDS, gay marriage, use of marijuana, civil rights, women’s rights, and rights of the disabled.

The Hard Core If the minority opinion becomes loud

enough and institutions of power bask them then the majority voice becomes less powerful

The hard core (minority voices) moved public opinion on AIDS, on segregation, gay marriage and rights of the disabled.

Example of The Spiral of Silence

The world has changed since Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s time due to

New media

cyber space, computers, cell phones, social media, desktop publishing, self- publishing, Public access channels (radio and television) Minority newspapers Minority TV stations and channels Counter culture news such as Al Jazeera

Critical Weaknesses and Strengths of SST

Problems with the theory• Does not address resistance• Greatly understates the consequences of speaking out

(isolation is the least painful)• Dated due to new media

Strengths of SST • Provides lens for looking at the relationship among

majority • and minority opinions and the media

• Employed in studies on many topics