Wedialog.net: A Quantitative Field Test of the Effects of Online Intergroup Dialogue in Promoting Justice- Versus Harmony-Oriented Outcomes in Bosnia and Serbia

Abstract

Online dialogue has tremendous potential to influence intergroup relations in conflict-ridden societies. Although prior research has identified intergroup harmony and justice as two distinct approaches to intergroup contact, little is known about whether online dialogue would foster a harmony- or justice-oriented discourse around conflict. To examine this question, the present study implemented a pre-post within-subjects design around a 4-week online dialogue intervention with Bosniaks and Serbs in the postconflict context of former Yugoslavia. Analyses of pre-post surveys suggest that the dialogue may have fostered a justice-oriented discourse among both Bosniaks and Serbs, who showed greater group identification and demands for justice after the dialogue compared to before the dialogue. There was also lower support for the goal of improving relationships and higher prioritization of discussions of justice after the dialogue. Exploring the linguistic content of the dialogue during the 4-week intervention further revealed that expressions of anger and anxiety decreased, whereas time orientations toward the present increased over time, suggesting that the justice-focused dialogue was not necessarily accompanied by explicit hostility over past atrocities. These findings help inform future interventions in postconflict societies, especially the use of online platforms to shape the discourse of conflict.