Article ID: 45033
In this study, we examined the effects of having or not having facilitation on discussions in online bulletin boards. For the experiment (Randomized Controlled Trial), the following two topics were chosen: "The descendants of ancient creatures thought to have become extinct in the deep sea are actually alive" and "There are planets in the galaxy that have intelligent life, as on earth”. As a result, it was found that the participants' aggressive comments and extreme attitudes were suppressed when facilitation was present. Moreover, participants’ critical thinking attitude might be enhanced in the presence of a facilitator.
