attitude  scale selective exposure
231692168
Headlines Readers' Avoidance Attitude Towards Visual Material? Effects of Camcorder on Selective Exposure to Headlines
Two quasi experiments were conducted to test the effects of the camcorder symbol, a "peripheral cue" attached to headlines with either low or high utility, and the role of verbal and visual cognitive style in the process of headlines selection. Three experimental groups were exposed to online headlines with camcorder symbol of a created portal and the control group to headlines without the camcorder (N 250) In both experiments students who preferred visual information processing chose more headlines with the camcorder. However, those with high scores on the verbal scale chose fewer headlines without the camcorder. In addition, those with high scores on both verbal and visual scales selected more and more headlines with low utility, avoiding those with the camcorder. In the second experiment (N 160) in experimental group respondents' dominant cognitive style was primed with a camcorder. Primed respondents with dominant visual cognitive style chose more headlines with the camcorder than respondents in the control group. Priming decreased the selection of headlines with the camcorder among respondents high on both scales, and average scores on verbal scale and low on visual scale, confirmed by eye tracker.
Istvan Kosa Blanka Balint Zoltan Ambrus Andrea Solyom Dalma Zsigmond
157726401
Synthesizing the Relationship between Reported Dissonance and Post Purchase Responses in High Involvement Decisions Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
Abstract: This study develops and validates a scale to assess the impact of reported dissonance on post purchase responses (attitude change, trivialisation, selective exposure, justification) respectively and applies the instrument to high involvement consumers. A sample of 200 new motor vehicle buyers who purchased from a leading and reputable motor vehicle company in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, was drawn using stratified random sampling based on range of motor vehicle (bottom, middle, top) and month of purchase. Initially, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to extract the factors. The reliability of the modified questionnaire was then assessed using Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha. Thereafter, confirmation factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish if the measurement model is a good fit and to develop and test the model structure in SEM, which generated a good model fit. Pearson r was computed to assess the relationship amongst the dimensions. Using structural equation modelling, the results support significant inverse relationships between reported dissonance and attitude change, trivialisation and justification respectively. Whilst the inverse relationship between reported dissonance and selective exposure was supported using correlation, it was not confirmed using SEM. Recommendations, based on the findings, are presented and are directed at reducing reported dissonance and effectively managing post purchase interactions and responses.Keywords: Post purchase evaluation, reported dissonance, attitude change, trivialisation, selective exposure, justification
Sanjana Brijball Parumasur Nabendra Parumasur
220632295
Rigid Religious Faith Promotes Selective Exposure to Attitude Congruent Political Information
When seeking political information, people are motivated to selectively seek information that is congruent with their prior attitudes. However, some individuals may do so more than others, and not much is known about what factors affect such individual differences. Rigid religious faith is one variable that may promote selective exposure. Messages of the importance of rigid faith the idea that religious beliefs must be held firmly and not doubted could encourage a habit of selective exposure to information that supports existing religious beliefs. As a side effect, this habit of selective exposure might be applied outside the context of religion. In this study, an information search task on a non religious political issue is used to demonstrate that subjects prefer to read a greater number of arguments that are congruent with their prior attitudes on the issue, and this effect of prior attitudes on information search behavior is found to be stronger among individuals who have rigid religious convictions. A scrambled sentence task is used to prime half the subjects with religious concepts prior to completing the information search task. This experiment demonstrates that increased salience of religious faith causes an increase in selective exposure to attitude congruent political information.
James Cragun
46545468
Cognitive Dissonance or Credibility? A Comparison of Two Theoretical Explanations for Selective Exposure to Partisan News
Selective exposure research indicates that news consumers tend to seek out attitude consistent information and avoid attitude challenging information. This study examines online news credibility and cognitive dissonance as theoretical explanations for partisan selective exposure behavior. After viewing an attitudinally consistent, challenging, or politically balanced online news source, cognitive dissonance, credibility perceptions, and likelihood of selective exposure were measured. Results showed that people judge attitude consistent and neutral news sources as more credible than attitude challenging news sources, and although people experience slightly more cognitive dissonance when exposed to attitude challenging news sources, overall dissonance levels were quite low. These results refute the cognitive dissonance explanation for selective exposure and suggest a new explanation that is based on credibility perceptions rather than psychological discomfort with attitude challenging information.
Miriam J Metzger Ethan Hartsell Andrew J Flanagin
151327902
Dynamic Spirals Put to Test: An Agent Based Model of Reinforcing Spirals Between Selective Exposure, Interpersonal Networks, and Attitude Polarization
Within the context of partisan selective exposure and attitude polarization, this study investigates a mutually reinforcing spiral model, aiming to clarify mechanisms and boundary conditions that affect spiral processes interpersonal agreement and disagreement, and the ebb and flow of message receptions. Utilizing agent based modeling (ABM) simulations, the study formally models endogenous dynamics of cumulative processes and its reciprocal effect of media choice behavior over extended periods of time. Our results suggest that interpersonal discussion networks, in conjunction with election contexts, condition the reciprocal effect of selective media exposure and its attitudinal consequences. Methodologically, results also highlight the analytical utility of computational social science approaches in overcoming the limitations of typical experimental and observations studies.
Hyunjin Song Hajo G Boomgaarden
210651705
Issues, involvement, and influence: Effects of selective exposure and sharing on polarization and participation
Abstract Although research has amply demonstrated that people exhibit confirmatory biases associated with exposure and information sharing on social media, there is a lack of research attempting to parse out the respective effects of selective exposure and sharing on political outcomes, especially in non U.S. contexts. In this experiment, we tested the extent of confirmation bias in Dutch Facebook users' selection and sharing of opinionated news about three political issues. The relative contributions of selecting versus sharing pro attitudinal (and counter attitudinal) messages were assessed for their influences on attitude polarization and political participation. Value and impression involvement were considered as moderating factors. Findings indicate that a confirmation bias is much more consistently observed in selective sharing than in selective exposure. Second, pro attitudinal selective sharing is a more robust predictor of political outcomes than pro attitudinal selective exposure. Third, the effects of selective sharing and exposure on political outcomes depend more on value involvement than impression relevant involvement. Finally, between topic differences were evident for the extent of confirmation bias and its effects on political outcomes.
Comput. Hum. Behav.
Benjamin K Johnson Rachel L Neo Marieke E M Heijnen Lotte Smits Caitrina van Veen
206022710
Confirmation Bias in Online Searches: Impacts of Selective Exposure Before an Election on Political Attitude Strength and Shifts
Impacts of Internet use on political information seeking and subsequent processes have been subject to much debate. A 2 session online field study presented online search results on political topics to examine selective exposure and its attitudinal impacts. Session 1 captured attitudes, including their accessibility. Session 2 tracked what online search results participants selected and how long they read them; participants then reported attitudes again. The study represented a 4x8x2x2 within subjects design: 4 topics, 8 browsing intervals each, with articles presenting opposing stances, with low versus high source credibility. Attitude consistent messages and messages from high credibility sources were preferred. Exposure to attitude consistent search results increased attitude accessibility and reinforced attitudes, whereas exposure to attitude discrepant content had opposite effects, regardless of messages' source credibility.
J. Comput. Mediat. Commun.
Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick Benjamin K Johnson Axel Westerwick
152232350
Cognitive Discrepancy, Dissonance, and Selective Exposure
AbstractAlthough cognitive dissonance is regarded as one of the most recognized causes of selective exposure [N. J. Stroud, Niche News (Oxford University Press, 2011) the mechanism for such causation is still unclear. By inducing dissonance in a web based experiment, this study demonstrates how cognitive dissonance relates to information preferences the intention to seek congruent information and the intention to seek incongruent information. The findings suggest that perceived hostility with respect to one's belief (cognitive discrepancy) can enhance the intention to seek out for attitude consistent information. More importantly, individuals were found to have the intention to avoid counterattitudinal information, but only when they experienced some sort of psychological discomfort (dissonance) In other words, while cognitive discrepancy leads individuals to crave for confirming information, only those who encounter negative emotions are likely to employ avoidance of disconfirming information as a dis.
Stephanie Jean Tsang
201392089
From Selective Exposure to Selective Information Processing: A Motivated Reasoning Approach
Literature suggests that while without doubt people engage in selective exposure to information, this does not entail that they also engage in selective avoidance of opinion challenging information. However, cross cutting exposure does not always lead to dispassionate deliberation. In this commentary I explore psychological conditions as they apply to attitude based selection and make an argument that selectivity does not stop at exposure but continues as audiences engage with information they encounter and incorporate in their decision making. I propose the theory of motivated reasoning as a rich theoretical underpinning that helps us understand selective exposure and selective information processing.
Media and Communication
Lindita Camaj
150487228
Is the Confirmation Bias Bubble Larger Online? Pre Election Confirmation Bias in Selective Exposure to Online versus Print Political Information
The Internet era has often been blamed for a predominant engagement with attitude consistent information among citizens (labeled confirmation bias) which is thought to hurt political deliberation. This study offers the first rigorous evidence suggesting that online news fosters greater confirmation bias than traditional media. A 2 x 2 within subjects experiment presented political articles, varying stance (conservative vs. liberal) and medium (online vs. print) selective exposure was logged or taped. Data were collected during the U.S. 2016 presidential primaries. As expected in the preelection context, partisans whose party was anticipated to lose the election (conservatives) did not exhibit confirmation bias. Liberals showed confirmation bias, but only online, suggesting print contexts reduce confirmation bias.
Mass Communication and Society
George D H Pearson Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick