What Drives Censorship on College Campuses?
There has been widespread concern about self-censorship on university campuses, and especially that conservative voices are being stifled. Using survey data from a private elite college, we show that self-censorship is not simply about being conservative: it is students with the most moderate views who self-censor the most. This pattern is associated with confidence and […] The post What Drives…
Recent research indicates that self-censorship on college campuses is driven by more than just political ideology. Using survey data from a private elite institution, a new working paper reveals that students with moderate views are the most likely to self-censor. This phenomenon is linked to confidence and the perceived importance of an issue.
Those who are confident in their beliefs or view a topic as highly significant tend to hold more extreme opinions and self-censor less frequently. Notably, conservatives exhibit higher rates of self-censorship compared to liberals. Furthermore, an individual is more inclined to self-censor on the subjects where they lean more conservative than on those where they lean more liberal.
Conservatives are also more likely to attribute their self-censorship to concerns about social exclusion, and report less self-censorship outside the university environment. Minority groups, especially those perceived as marginalized, self-censor less than majority groups, particularly on issues salient to them, such as Black students regarding Black Lives Matter.
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