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International Journal of Public Opinion Research Advance Access published online on March 18, 2005
International Journal of Public Opinion Research, doi:10.1093/ijpor/edh073
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International Journal of Public Opinion Research © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The World Association for Public Opinion Research. All rights reserved.
Received October 14, 2004

Article

Willingness to Self-Censor: A Construct and Measurement Tool for Public Opinion Research

Andrew F. Hayes 1*, Carroll J. Glynn 1, and James Shanahan 2

1 School of Communication at The Ohio State University.
2 Cornell University.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Andrew F. Hayes, E-mail: hayes.338{at}osu.edu


  Abstract

We define self-censorship as the withholding of one’s true opinion from an audience perceived to disagree with that opinion. Willingness to self-censor can be conceptualized as an individual difference, and we introduce here an 8-item self-report instrument to measure this construct. The instrument yields reliable data in both student and non-student populations and can be easily administered in no more than a few minutes in written or oral format. Evidence of the validity of the measure comes from findings that self-censorers (i.e. those scoring relatively high on the measure) tend to be relatively more anxious about social interaction and communication, more concerned about how other people evaluate them, less argumentative, and lower in self-esteem. Although correlated with measures of these related constructs, confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the willingness to self-censor scale is statistically distinguishable from these measures. The measure can serve as a useful research tool for investigators interested in public opinion expression, political participation, media effects, interpersonal discussion, group decision making, and other areas.


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