Selective Use of News Cues: A Multiple‐Motive Perspective on Information Selection in Social Media Environments |
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Authors: | Stephan Winter Miriam J Metzger Andrew J Flanagin |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Social Psychology: Media and Communication, University of Duisburg‐Essen, Duisburg, Germany;2. Department of Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA |
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Abstract: | This study investigated the effects of message and social cues on selective exposure to political information in a social media environment. Based on the heuristic‐systematic model, we hypothesized that readers' selective consideration of specific cues can be explained by situational motivations. In an experiment (N = 137), subjects primed with motivational goals (accuracy, defense, or impression motivations, as well as a control group) were asked to search for information. Participants preferred attitude‐consistent information and balanced information over attitude‐inconsistent information, and also preferred highly recommended articles. Defense‐motivated partisans exhibited a stronger confirmation bias, whereas impression motivation amplified the effects of social recommendations. These findings specify the conditions under which individuals engage in narrow, open‐minded, or social patterns of information selection. |
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Keywords: | Selective Exposure Online News Social Media Social Recommendations Heuristic‐Systematic Model |
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