Social Psychology X Communications Dynamics
Communication Dialectics: Between the Openness Paradox & the Spiral of Silence
In my talk at the "How to Circumnavigate the Openness Paradox in Transdisciplinary Collaboration" conference at the Max Planck Society in Berlin, I introduced a novel framework that merges the Spiral of Silence (SOS) with the Openness Paradox (OP). This approach examines how critical moments of openness in collaboration can unintentionally foster an environment where participants feel unable to speak freely, resulting in a "silent spiral" that limits the very inclusivity and engagement the openness was intended to encourage.
The Openness Paradox suggests that while openness in collaborative projects aims to invite diverse input and transparency, it also inadvertently places a high demand on participants' prior knowledge, initiative, and cultural capital. When participants lack confidence in these areas, the openness of the environment may actually discourage their engagement. This dynamic becomes especially challenging in transdisciplinary teams, where members often come from highly varied backgrounds, knowledge systems, and cultural contexts.
This is where the Spiral of Silence enters. Originally, SOS theory explained how individuals in a group might self-censor their opinions when they perceive their views as differing from the majority’s, often due to a fear of isolation or reprisal. In a transdisciplinary context, this effect is amplified by the Openness Paradox. Without a deep understanding of the OP, collaboration leaders may unintentionally create a psychologically unsafe atmosphere that triggers the SOS, particularly in participants who feel marginalized or less familiar with the dominant knowledge frameworks or communication norms.
In such a scenario, the openness intended to democratize input instead begins to breed a silent disengagement. Participants may suppress their perspectives to avoid conflict or judgment, ultimately limiting the collaboration’s depth and diversity. This framework thus underscores the importance of structured openness, where intentional scaffolding around communication norms, cultural sensitivity, and psychological safety is essential.
My framework encourages collaboration designers to proactively address these dynamics by building psychological safety into the foundation of their openness strategies. By acknowledging and mitigating the potential triggers of the Spiral of Silence, teams can create a genuinely open and inclusive environment, allowing transdisciplinary collaborations to flourish.