• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.149-177
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• 2022

This study analyzes how inoculation affects the spiral of silence. Inoculation could be a beneficial tool in a democracy as it elevates citizens' resistance to attitude change "forced" by "the winning opinion" in the spiral of silence on a certain controversial issue. The study examines essential variables combined with the theories of inoculation and spiral of silence, such as resistance to counter-attitudinal attack, fear of isolation, and issue-involvement. A two-wave field experiment was employed to assess the formation of public opinion on Taiwan's political future with the People's Republic of China. Results support that inoculation enhanced people's resistance to attitude change and decreased their fear of isolation. Individuals who are more issue-involved were also shown to be more affected by inoculation, which allowed them to resist attitude change. The decreased fear of isolation, coupled with more issue involvement, might elevate people's willingness to speak out in public. More political discussions regarding an important public issue might be expected in a democracy.