An Empirical Study on the Relationship between Internet Usage and Prejudice

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870662
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology; Social psychology
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Taka Fumiaki 神奈川大学, 人間科学部, 非常勤講師 (90594276)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: レイシズム / 人種・民族偏見 / セクシズム / 女性に対する偏見 / ヘテロセクシズム / 同性愛者に対する偏見 / インターネット / ソーシャル・メディア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I conducted an on-line survey to investigate the relationships between Internet usage and prejudice against Zainichi Koreans (Korean residents in Japan), women, and people with same-sex orientation. Results revealed that some forms of Internet usage, such as viewing and posting on 2 channel (an anonymous BBS site popular in Japan) or other BBS sites have positive correlations with prejudice, while some others, such as using SNS have negative correlations. Furthermore, I suggested that social dominance orientation, collective narcissism, suspicion about mass media, life satisfaction, and subjective quality of life mediate these effects.

Free Research Field

社会心理学