Deepening the divide? A longitudinal analysis of fragmentation and polarisation in the networked public sphere on climate change in the UK.

Research into polarisation in hyperlink networks has for the most part neglected the longitudinal nature of the process. To overcome this deficit, this study uses temporal exponential random graph models (TERGMs) to investigate the degree of polarisation present in a hyperlink network on climate change that originates in the UK. Adopting an inferential perspective has the advantage of overcoming some of the methodological difficulties that beset current research. The approach presented distinguishes between a general, an intermediate, and a local level of the network structure and models the expected degree of polarisation on all three levels. The results show that contrary to some of the assumptions, the degree of fragmentation on the general level is lower than expected, while polarisation is present in how the relationships between the single network communities develop over time and in the like-minded link formation patterns of climate advocates and sceptics in these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]