Testing Hypotheses from the Social Approval Theory of Online Hate: An Analysis of 110 Million Messages from Parler

TL;DR

This study analyzed 110 million Parler messages to test if social approval signals, like upvotes, promote online hate and its extremity, finding that approval on hate comments correlates with increased hate speech over time.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence linking social approval signals to the propagation and extremity of online hate speech using large-scale social media data.

Findings

Upvotes on hate comments are associated with increased hate speech in subsequent posts.

Social approval on hate comments correlates more strongly with hate speech than disapproval.

Social approval facilitates the propagation and extremity of online hate.

Abstract

We examined how online hate is motivated by receiving social approval via Walther's (2024) social approval theory of online hate, which argues (H1a) more signals of social approval on hate messages predicts more subsequent hate messages, and (H1b) as social approval increases, hate speech becomes more extreme. Using 110 million messages from Parler (2018-2021), we observed the number of upvotes received on a hate speech post was unassociated with hate speech in one's next post and during the next month, three-months, and six-months. The number of upvotes received on (extreme) hate speech comments, however, was positively associated with (extreme) hate speech during the next week, month, three-months, and six-months. Between-person effects revealed an average positive relationship between social approval and hate speech production at all time intervals. For comments, social approval linked more strongly to online hate than social disapproval. Social approval is a critical mechanism facilitating online hate propagation.