Intergroup Bias in Attitudes Toward Restrictions on Uncivil Political Expression and Its Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract: There appears to be a dilemma between the freedom of expression and protection from the adverse effects of uncivil political expression online. While previous studies have revealed various factors that affect attitudes toward freedom of expression and speech restrictions, it is less clear whether people have intergroup biases when forming these attitudes. To address this gap, the present study conducted a pre-registered online survey experiment and investigated people's attitudes toward uncivil political expression by randomizing its in-group and out-group affiliations. The results revealed that people tend to perceive uncivil political expression directed from an out-group toward an in-group as more uncivil, compared to the expression originating from an in-group toward an out-group. This difference subsequently influences their inclination to endorse speech restrictions when faced with uncivil political comments: stronger support for restrictions on expressions from the out-group toward the in-group as opposed to those from the in-group toward the out-group. These findings should serve as a wake-up call to public opinion that advocates for restrictions on uncivil political expression.