An Uncivil Volume: Perceived Prototypicality, Warranting Value, and Tolerance as Mechanisms for Effects of Reddit Comment Environment on Affective Polarization Among U.S. Partisans

Scholars have lamented that incivility on social media platforms contributes to affective polarization between political parties. In particular, Reddit has experienced robust yearly growth and has unique affordances that enable like-minded partisans to cluster together and comment on political issues. Although Reddit subs have moderators, instances of incivility are well-documented. However, little research has examined how Reddit specifically contributes to political polarization. To address these research gaps, we conduct an online experiment to examine how the attitudinal valence of uncivil Reddit comments and comment volume influence affective polarization via four mediators: perceptions of in- and out-party prototypicality, warranting value, and intolerance. Findings show that counter-attitudinal uncivil Reddit content was perceived as prototypical of the other party, as lacking in warranting value, and as intolerant. In turn, perceived lack of warranting value and intolerance were strongly and most consistently linked to affective polarization variables. Conversely, in-party prototypicality became a nonsignificant mediator after factoring in controls. Also, none of the indirect relationships depended on comment volume. Implications of study findings are discussed.