Interpersonal Political Discussion Research Articles

Intraparty and Interparty Political Disagreement as Predictors of Affective Polarization and Willingness to Engage in Interparty Contact: The Moderating Role of Political Difference Management Styles

Interpersonal political discussion is a normatively valued practice in a democracy, shaping polarizing attitudes and influencing future contact intentions in divided political landscapes. Applying social identity, intergroup contact, and conflict management styles theories, in this article, we investigate the associations between political disagreement with in-party and out-party members, affective polarization, and willingness to engage in interparty contact. Additionally, we examine how these associations are contingent upon individuals’ styles for managing political disagreement. Using cross-sectional survey data ( N = 732), we found that better quality of disagreement with out-party members and more frequent disagreement with in-party members are related to improved intergroup attitudes. Furthermore, these relationships vary depending on the competing disagreement management style.

Interpersonal Discussion and Political Knowledge: Unpacking the Black Box via a Combined Experimental and Content-Analytic Approach

AbstractOver 130 studies have examined the relationship between interpersonal political discussion and political knowledge, generally finding that discussion can increase people’s level of political knowledge (Amsalem & Nir, 2019). However, two important questions remain unanswered: (a) Do some types of political discussions facilitate greater levels of political knowledge than others? (b) Do people retain knowledge gained from political discussions? In this study (N = 96), we addressed these questions using a novel methodological approach that combines a lab experiment, in which we manipulated the occurrence of political discussion, with a systematic content analysis of participants’ discussions (N = 1,080 distinct instances of discussions). We found that discussions involving confirmatory feedback and cueing were associated with greater levels of political knowledge than other types of discussions. Furthermore, knowledge gains from discussion were not retained after a short delay. Our study lays the theoretical and methodological groundwork for future investigations into the “black box” of political discussion.

Consumption and Production of User-Generated Content, Credibility, and Political Participation

ABSTRACT This study examines how journalistic credibility and consumption of user-generated content (UGC) are related to political participation. Data from a national online survey shows two main pathways. One concerns traditional communicative pathways involving professional journalism credibility, traditional news use, and interpersonal political discussion. The other concerns citizen journalism credibility and UGC consumption and production on citizen news websites. Thus, while traditional political communication continues to play a role in political participation, citizen journalism practice presents unique opportunities for citizens to engage in politics.

WhatsApp with Politics?!

With an increasing number of people, especially adolescents, using more private online platforms, such as WhatsApp, for news, an important question for democracy is whether such platforms can facilitate learning about politics and current events. In this study, we examine adolescents’ affective (emotions, feelings), behavioral (actions and behavioral intentions), and cognitive (political knowledge) responses to interpersonal political discussion on WhatsApp. We conducted a preregistered field experiment at six secondary schools in the Netherlands ( N = 230). We assigned respondents with strong ties to a WhatsApp group. For seven days, respondents received a link to an online political news item on a daily basis; and (1) either had to read or (2) read and discuss it. The results indicate that interpersonal discussion evokes stronger positive emotions and feelings, as well as issue-specific knowledge. In addition, elaboration on the content of political discussion was positively related to issue-specific knowledge. In this way, instant messaging apps may serve as a resource for engaging adolescents with politics and current events.

Political talk on mobile instant messaging services: a comparative analysis of Germany, Italy, and the UK

ABSTRACTMobile instant messaging services (MIMS) are emerging as important digital environments in citizens’ everyday lives. We explore the use of MIMS for talking about politics with unique survey data on samples representative of Internet users in Germany, Italy, and the UK. First, we show that robust percentages of our respondents who use MIMS employ them for posting political messages and discussing politics. Second, we demonstrate that political talk on MIMS is positively associated with users’ tendency to censor themselves politically on social networking sites (SNS) and, to a lesser extent, with ideological extremism. Third, we find that the association between self-censorship on SNS and the likelihood of publishing political contents on MIMS is stronger for individuals living in former East Germany where, due to historical reasons, large segments of the population are reluctant to talk about politics in public. Our findings suggest that MIMS make a distinctive contribution to contemporary repertoires of political talk, with important implications for the quality and inclusiveness of interpersonal political discussion.

Talk Without Borders: Why Political Discussion Makes Latin Americans With Relatives Abroad More Critical of Their Democracies

Mulling over politics with others can change citizens’ political beliefs and choices. Is the effect of interpersonal political discussion different when one of the interlocutors has a family member living abroad—that is, is a “transnational household member” (THM)? Using data from 20 Latin American countries in the 2006-2008 AmericasBarometer, we show that talking about politics makes THMs less satisfied with their democracies and less proud of their political systems than non-THMs. When THMs engage in cross-border political discussions with relatives abroad, they gain new information and perspectives that cast their own democracy in a different light. Even absent cross-border communication, though, political discussion with peers at home can make THMs more critical by emphasizing their government’s transnational governance obligations—and highlighting failures to live up to these heightened expectations. Our study thus adds to a growing body of research on emigration’s impact on sending country politics.

Examining the roles of mobile and social media in political participation: A cross-national analysis of three Asian societies using a communication mediation approach

The Asia-Pacific constitutes the fastest growing region in mobile and social media penetration. Yet, the political implications of the technologies are not fully understood. Using probability samples of university students in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, this study examines the roles of mobile and social media news in offline and online political participation. Consistent with the O-S-R-O-R model (Orientations–Stimulus–Reasoning–Orientations–Response), which derives from communication and cognitive mediation models explaining the relationship between media use and political participation, all three samples demonstrated indirect relationships between mobile/social media use and political participation through interpersonal political discussion and political efficacy. The study contributes to theory building by demonstrating the external validity of the O-S-R-O-R model across different political systems.

Expanding the Conversation: Multiplier Effects From a Deliberative Field Experiment

Do formal deliberative events influence larger patterns of political discussion and public opinion? Critics argue that only a tiny number of people can participate in any given gathering and that deliberation may not remedy—and may in fact exacerbate—inequalities. We assess these criticisms with an experimental design merging a formal deliberative session with data on participants’ social networks. We conducted a field experiment in which randomly selected constituents attended an online deliberative session with their U.S. Senator. We find that attending the deliberative session dramatically increased interpersonal political discussion on topics relating to the event. Importantly, after an extensive series of moderation checks, we find that no participant/nodal characteristics, or dyadic/network characteristics, conditioned these effects; this provides reassurance that observed, positive spillovers are not limited to certain portions of the citizenry. The results of our study suggest that even relatively small-scale deliberative encounters can have a broader effect in the mass public, and that these events are equal-opportunity multipliers.

Willingness to communicate about politics (WTCAP): A novel measure of interpersonal political discussion

This paper lays out a theoretical argument for a novel survey measure of interpersonal political discussion; willingness to communicate about politics. WTCAP is defined as a state-based variable referring to a person's likelihood or propensity to actively engage in an informal political discussion in a specific situation. Complete data from 291 participants were used to test and validate this novel measure. Ultimately a six-item survey instrument was found to best fit the data. This measure was found to be a valid and reliable measure of the construct.

The impact of political party support on interpersonal political discussion: survey evidence from two Chinese societies

This study examines whether and how political party support shapes interpersonal political discussion. Drawing upon existing research, party support is hypothesized to lead to more frequent political discussion and lower levels of disagreement within discussion networks. Party support is also hypothesized to moderate the relationship between news consumption and discussion frequency and the relationship between discussion frequency and disagreement. The analysis further explores if the impact of party support varies according to the parties being supported. The hypotheses and research question were examined using data from representative surveys conducted in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The findings illustrate the importance of political party support in structuring citizens' interpersonal political discussions in the consolidated democracy of Taiwan and, though to a lesser extent, in the semi-democratic environment of Hong Kong. In Taiwan, the impact of discussion frequencies on disagreement in discussion network varies according to the party being supported. Implications of the findings are discussed.

What is Important? The Impact of Interpersonal Political Discussion on Public Agendas

ObjectiveThis article investigates the role of discussion networks in agenda‐setting. More specifically, the focus is on the question whether the partisan composition of people's discussion networks affects what they judge to be the most important problems facing the country.MethodUsing data from the 2000 American National Election Studies (ANES), I employ logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe findings suggest that discussion networks indeed play a significant role in setting the public agenda, even taking into consideration people's media use and several other potentially relevant variables.ConclusionWhile prior research has already linked political discussion to participation and vote choice, this study provides evidence that it also affects what issues people prioritize.

France and the United States: A comparative analysis of social capital on both sides of the pond

Putnam's lament on the decline of civic engagement has generated extensive literature on social capital. However, cross-national research remains deficient. In an effort to fill the gap, this research thus concentrates on a comparative assessment of social capital in the United States and France. On the basis of secondary analyses of Howard, Gibson and Stolle's ‘US Citizenship, Involvement and Democracy’ survey of 1001 respondents in the United States and the 2002 European Social Survey of 1503 respondents in France, this article measured the impact of media use and political variables on levels of trust, citizen norms, associational involvement and political participation. Findings suggested that for both countries interpersonal political discussion, external efficacy and interest were positive predictors for several dimensions of social capital.

Communication Behaviors as Mediators: Examining Links Between Political Orientation, Political Communication, and Political Participation

This study reveals the mediation process of mass and interpersonal communication between antecedent political orientation variables and the outcome response variable of political participation. It provides insight into the direct and indirect effects of political communication on political behavior using an advanced social cognitive approach. The study explores the interrelations among political orientations, communication behaviors, and political participation using the theoretical framework of the Orientation 1–Stimulus–Orientation 2–Response model (Markus & Zajonc, 1985; McLeod, Kosicki, & McLeod, 2002). A structural equation model was built and supported by 2004 American National Election Survey data. After controlling for demographic variables, both political interest and need for cognition had direct effects on political media use, whereas political interest and need to evaluate had direct effects on interpersonal political discussion. These results suggest that need for cognition and need to evaluate—2 important personality constructs—affect political communication on 2 different levels. Meanwhile, as antecedent orientation variables, political interest, political extremity, and need to evaluate all contribute to political participation. Both political media use and interpersonal discussion directly affect political participation while they also mediate the effect of the political orientation variables on political participation. Furthermore, interpersonal political discussion mediates the effect of political media use on political participation, and political media use mediates the effect of political interest and need for cognition on interpersonal political discussion.

Deliberative Ripples: The Network Effects of Political Events

What are the ripple effects from structured deliberation sessions? To better understand the potential aggregate consequences of these (somewhat limited) opportunities, we focus on the social networks of participants, looking for the informational consequences of second-hand exposure. We report on the results of a field experiment in which randomly selected constituents attended a deliberative session with a U.S. Senator. Pre and post session data were collected from participants – as well as control subjects – regarding interpersonal political discussion networks. We evaluate whether the encounter spurred increased political discussion among named discussants, and whether certain factors moderated these rates of political talk. Our results indicate that attending the deliberative session increased discussion of specific issues, and that spouses were especially likely targets for discussion. Importantly, follow-up surveys indicate that these ripple effects lasted for months after the initial encounter.

The Revolution Will be Networked

Social networking is a phenomenon of interest to many scholars. While most of the recent research on social networking sites has focused on user characteristics, very few studies have examined their roles in engaging people in the democratic process. This paper relies on a telephone survey of Southwest residents to examine the extent to which reliance on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube has engaged citizens in civic and political activities. More specifically, this study looks at the extent to which social networking sites influence political attitudes and democratic participation after controlling for demographic variables and the role of interpersonal political discussion in stimulating citizen participation. The findings indicate that reliance on social networking sites is significantly related to increased civic participation, but not political participation. Interpersonal discussion fosters both civic participation and political activity. Implications of the results for democratic governance will be discussed.

The Impact of Political Discussion in a Democratizing Society

This study examines interpersonal political discussion in the context of a democratizing society, focusing specifically on its impact on political knowledge and awareness of the danger of majority tyranny. Moreover, following the argument that the normatively desirable impact of political discussion is likely to emerge or be stronger under specific conditions, this study treats disagreement and support for democratization as two moderators of discussion effects. Analysis of a representative survey ( n = 800) conducted in Hong Kong shows that frequency of interpersonal political discussion relates positively to political knowledge. The relationship is stronger among people who experience more disagreement in discussion. Support for democracy does not moderate the impact of discussion on knowledge. But a three-way interaction effect is found on awareness of the danger of majority tyranny: Discussion leads to such awareness only among supporters of democracy who experience disagreement in discussion. This study thus both replicates and extends the findings in the existing, mostly U.S.based literature on the impact of political talk.

Conflict and Identity: Explaining Turnout and Anti‐integrationist Voting in the Danish 2004 Elections for the European Parliament

This article investigates electoral participation and the antecedents of anti‐integrationist voting (AIV) in the Danish 2004 European parliamentary elections. First, it focuses on the effects of the campaign and assesses the importance of social demographics and political predispositions vis‐à‐vis mediated and interpersonal communication on turnout. Second, it investigates AIV, focusing on ‘hard’ utilitarian predictors and ‘soft’ cultural predictors. It draws on the European Election Study (EES) post‐electoral voter survey and a media content analysis of the most important news media outlets. Its findings corroborate previous research on political participation and shows significant positive effects of interpersonal political discussion and exposure to news media that portrayed the European elections as a conflict‐laden contest on turnout. The analysis of AIV highlights the importance of proxies (lack of trust and dissatisfaction with the incumbent government) and political ideology, but also feelings of identity. The latter provides evidence from the Danish context in support of an emerging body of literature emphasizing ‘soft’ explanations of euroscepticism.

The Engagement Model of Opinion Leadership: Testing Validity Within a European Context

Explicating and measuring opinion leadership continues to be an important theoretical topic, as personal influence and interpersonal discussion are widely recognized as shaping public opinion and political behavior. However, the concept of opinion leadership arose out of empirical research conducted primarily within the USA. Whether it may be applied to other national contexts remains to be fully explicated. Furthermore, media information-seeking behaviors of opinion leaders, such as newspaper use or television exposure, seem to be culturally contingent based upon the scant cross-national research to date. This paper examines the ecological and constructive validity of the engagement model of the opinion leadership developed within the USA. Employing the European Social Survey, I apply this model to fifteen European nations to assess its validity and explore how media information-seeking behaviors of opinion leaders may vary across national contexts. The findings suggest that the model may be most valid in Western European nations. Furthermore, the media use and behaviors of opinion leaders vary greatly across nations in Europe, though levels of interpersonal political discussion and specific individual socio-psychological traits do not.

Information and Expression in a Digital Age

This article examines the role of the Internet as a source of political information and a sphere for public expression. Informational media use, whether traditional news sources or online public affairs content, is expected to foster interpersonal political discussion and online civic messaging, contributing to increased civic participation. Using two-wave national panel survey data, three types of synchronous structural equation models are tested: cross sectional (relating individual differences), fixed effects (relating intraindividual change), and auto regressive (relating aggregate change). All models reveal that online media complement traditional media to foster political discussion and civic messaging. These two forms of political expression, in turn, influence civic participation. Other variable orderings are tested to compare the theorized model to alternative causal specifications. Results reveal that the model produces the best fit, empirically and theoretically, with the influence of the Internet, rivaling the mobilizing power of traditional modes of information and expression.

Communication and Citizenship: Mapping the Political Effects of Infotainment

Political candidates and citizens alike have been turning to nontraditional, "softer" sources of political information such as late-night comedy and daytime talk shows. This is particularly true during presidential elections, when candidates make guest appearances to reach audience members who may or may not be politically engaged, and when discussion of political affairs becomes more prominent. What are the effects of consuming such media content? Using data from the 2000 National Annenberg Election Survey, we examine the effects of watching late-night comedy shows and candidates' appearances on Oprah on various forms of citizenship. Results indicate that watching political infotainment can enhance political engagement, but not for all sectors of the electorate and not all the time. Exposure to late-night comedy and political content on Oprah was associated with increased levels of participation. However, for late-night comedy viewing, the positive association between exposure and 2 criterion variables—intent to vote and interpersonal political discussion—was significantly more pronounced among political sophisticates.