Geschichte | Geographie | Wirtschaft | Gesellschaft
Tara Leo, 2008 | Zürich, ZH
This study examines how hate speech emerges and evolves in online discourse during geopolitical crises. It is based on a survey among Swiss newspaper professionals and an analysis of over seven thousand user comments from the Swiss online newspaper 20 Minuten in the context of the Russia Ukraine war. The comments were analyzed using Bandura’s theory of moral disengagement, which explains how individuals justify harmful behavior while maintaining a moral self image. The dataset was divided into three phases: before the invasion, during the acute crisis, and several months later. The findings are further placed in a broader historical context, showing that similar mechanisms have been used in past settings, including the Second World War, to justify exclusion and violence.
The findings show that hate speech is not random, but follows clear psychological patterns. The study highlights how online environments facilitate the normalization of hostility and how crises amplify existing tensions in society.
Introduction
How do geopolitical crises amplify hate speech and increase the use of moral disengagement mechanisms in online discourse?
Methods
The study follows a mixed method approach. First, a survey of Swiss newspaper professionals and interviews with experts were conducted to understand hate speech and its triggers. Second, 7223 user comments from 20 Minuten were analyzed across three time periods.
The comments were examined using Bandura’s theory of moral disengagement. An AI model was trained with prompts based on this framework to recognize the eight mechanisms. Each comment was then categorized, and the results were compared across the different phases.
Results
Almost half of all analyzed comments contained at least one mechanism of moral disengagement. Diffusion of responsibility was by far the most common mechanism, accounting for the majority of cases. The overall number of instances increased during the acute crisis and declined in the later phase, but did not disappear. This shows that hate speech intensifies during crises but remains present over time.
Discussion
The results show that hate speech is embedded in common patterns of reasoning rather than isolated extreme behavior. Mechanisms of moral disengagement allow individuals to justify hostility while maintaining a positive self image. These processes are not limited to a few individuals, but appear as widespread patterns in everyday online discourse. Crises intensify these mechanisms by increasing fear and perceived threat, which strengthens in group versus out group thinking and encourages scapegoating.
Historical comparison shows that the same mechanisms have been used in far more extreme contexts, particularly during the Second World War, where they enabled exclusion and large scale violence. While the consequences differ, the underlying psychological processes remain similar. Even as emotional intensity declines over time, these mechanisms do not disappear. Instead, they shift into more subtle forms, contributing to the gradual normalization of hostile discourse.
Conclusions
Hate speech in online discourse is driven by identifiable psychological mechanisms that become more visible during times of crisis. These mechanisms enable individuals to express hostility while maintaining a moral self image. The findings suggest that online platforms do not only reflect social tensions, but also amplify and normalize them. Increasing awareness and strengthening media literacy are essential to counter these dynamics and protect democratic discourse.
Würdigung durch den Experten
Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Wyss
Welche Strategien wenden Leser:innen von 20 Minuten in Onlinekommentaren an, um verletzende Hassrede im Kontext des Russland-Ukraine-Kriegs zu legitimieren? Die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit geht dieser komplexen Frage unter Rückgriff auf die Theorie der moralischen Entkopplung von Albert Bandura nach.
Die Verfasserin befragt dazu Medienschaffende und unterzieht rund 7000 Kommentare einer KI-gestützten Inhaltsanalyse. Sie zeigt, wie aus dem historischen Kontext bekannte psychologische Muster im digitalen Populismus wiederkehren, und plädiert für eine sensibilisierende Bewusstseinsbildung.
Prädikat:
Bronze
Freies Gymnasium Zürich
Lehrer: Christopher Jones-Staub