If you are in a group of people whose political views are different than your own, will you clearly state what you think and how you differ? 

We generally don’t, mostly because we’re vigorously conflict adverse. We’re not alone. An August study from Michigan State University indicates that a growing number of people react the same way we do -- a significant change from the past.  

The study, which analyzed survey data from 2000 to December 31, 2020, found a 6.52% decline in the willingness of individuals to defend their beliefs in public – a dramatic change in views over a relatively short period. 

“Some people think this is a problem specific to just one group of people,” says William Chopik, the study’s lead author and an associate professor in the psychology department at Michigan State. But actually, the concerns are widely shared – “Liberals, conservatives, independents, older people, younger people. The concern is pretty widespread.”

He sees a number of societal and government concerns that grow out of this change. Keeping quiet about different approaches or beliefs may interfere with the ability to find compromises or meet in the middle of issues in which there are extreme points of view. The impulse to keep quiet also leads to less diversity of opinion. “It’s really important for people to feel like they can disclose their beliefs,” he told us. “We need people to go against the grain. That’s how we figure stuff out. That’s how we innovate.”

Another possible effect might be an unwillingness for a growing group of people to take leadership positions, or to enter into political or appointed office.

What’s the reason for the growing reluctance to stand out? One theory is that the increasing antagonism and punitive elements of social media sparked some of the change, which seemed to accelerate around 2010 or 2011. About eight to ten years into the survey, social media began to become more toxic, more adversarial and antagonistic to beliefs that did not conform to the echo chamber of one’s own group. Anyone who has ever posted a perfectly benign comment on FaceBook (like for example a restaurant recommendation) is familiar with this unsavory phenomenon.

Clearly, many individuals remain who are vocal about their beliefs. But Chopik says the ones who tend toward the extremes of the outspoken, are few but highly visible. Still, they tend to create an environment in which others fear derision, if they don’t conform to the majority beliefs of the group they’re in. 

Chopik and his co-authors’ study is available here. The survey on which it’s based is still active and looks at different dimensions of uniqueness. It was originally started by a computer-savvy college student, nearly 25 years ago. which enabled researchers to have many years of data and about 1.3 million responses to analyze. Chopik and colleagues plan to do a further analysis in several years to capture more of the possible impact of the pandemic and its aftermath.

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