A Deliberative Mindset? Considering the Role of Motivation in Assessing the Attitudinal Consequences of Selective Exposure
37 Pages Posted: 21 Aug 2014
Date Written: 2014
Abstract
In light of studies demonstrating that selective exposure to political information may occur for any number of reasons, this paper considers the possibility that the attitudinal consequences of selectivity are contingent on the same factors that motivated its occurrence. A theoretical model of selective exposure is proposed that treats the underlying motivations of citizens’ information preferences as varied and accounts for how these motivations are expected to influence how new information is processed and integrated into individuals’ existing attitudes. This approach is then tested using a unique pre-test/post-test survey experimental design, manipulating the motivational states prior to an information search, observing whether these motivations then moderate the effect of information exposure on two attitudinal outcomes: attitude polarization and tolerance. Results confirm that properly understanding the consequences of selective exposure – as well as exposure to alternative viewpoints – requires considering more broadly why individuals are seeking political information in the first place
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