How do live-streaming platforms facilitate persuasion in political campaigns? Theory and empirical evidence from the perspective of affordance actualization

Abstract

Prior research is limited in how live-streaming platforms (LSPs) enable technological features facilitating political persuasion and engagement. Through the theoretical lens of affordance and theory of persuasion and mindfulness, this study (1) identifies persuasion-related affordances on LSPs that afford users with sufficient ability and motivation to process persuasive messages in live streaming, and (2) discovers how the actualization of such affordances fosters political mindfulness and promotes political engagement. We validate the research model using survey data collected from 16 live-streaming campaign rallies for the 2020 presidential election. This study makes significant theoretical contributions to live streaming and e-politics.