ABSTRACT

Selective exposure to likeminded political viewpoints on algorithmic social media platforms is considered a potential source of polarization of public opinion. We still know little about the proposed mechanism or how potential reinforcement of specific attitudes affects citizens’ political behavior, especially in a nonelectoral context. Focusing on the issue of immigration during the refugee influx to Europe in autumn 2015, this study investigates the effects of social media usage on attitude reinforcement, connecting it to political participation in refugee-related activities. A panel study conducted among Danish citizens (n = 847) reveals that frequent social media usage reinforces existing attitudes and mobilizes political participation. However, citizens who become more extreme in their attitude toward immigration over time are found to be less likely to become politically active regarding this specific issue.

摘要

在算法化社交媒体平台上选择性接触志趣相投的政治观点被视为舆论两极分化的潜在来源。我们仍然对拟议的机制或潜在的强化特定态度如何影响公民的政治行为，特别是在非选举背景下知之甚少。这项研究针对2015年秋季难民涌入欧洲期间的移民问题，研究了社交媒体使用对态度强化的影响，并将其与参与难民相关活动的政治参与联系起来。在丹麦公民中进行的小组研究（n= 847）表明，频繁使用社交媒体可以增强现有态度并动员政治参与。但是，人们发现，随着时间的推移，他们对移民的态度变得更加极端的人，就该特定问题在政治上不太可能活跃。