What is it about?
In the domain of politics, we provide experimental evidence that people change what information they expose themselves to in order to impress others. For example, people will change what news sources they select or what US Senator pages to visit based on who is watching them. We discover that when people choose information that is aligned what an observer believes, the observer likes and rewards them for it.
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Why is it important?
Our results demonstrate the importance of social factors in driving people's exposure to political information. In the era of social media and the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, when many choices are public than ever before, understanding the features of social contexts which drive information exposure is crucial for both theory and practice. Our work points to specific avenues to increase engagement across ideological divides.
Perspectives
I hope that this article helps us to further understand why political polarization might be spiraling and to help inspire solutions!
Molly Moore
Harvard University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The contingent reputational benefits of selective exposure to partisan information., Journal of Experimental Psychology General, September 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/xge0001463.
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