A Vicious (Virtual) Cycle: How Communications Technology Influences Perceptions of Intergroup Conflict

Prior research has shown that most people believe that intergroup conflict is increasing. We argue that this perception may be reinforced by technological innovation, such that the advent of smartphone technology has led people to be exposed to a greater number of viscerally powerful instances of intergroup conflict, therein influencing how they cognitively sample negative events and, in turn, leading them to believe that negative events are occurring more frequently. We predict that this leads to greater social unrest and puts pressure on institutions to alter policies in both functional and dysfunctional ways. We test our predictions with data on how police departments adjust their polices in light of adverse events.