Citation

Cargnino M, Neubaum G, Winter S. Communications 2023; 48(2): 202-225.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, International Association for Communication Research, Publisher De Gruyter Mouton)

DOI

10.1515/commun-2021-0028

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To date, the role of user behavior in the formation of politically homogeneous online environments (oftentimes called echo chambers) is not fully understood. Building on selective exposure research, we introduce the notion of selective political friending, that is, the preference for political like-mindedness in social affiliations on social networking sites. In a pre-registered laboratory experiment with users of social networking sites in Germany (N = 199), we find that users preferably build connections with those who share their opinions toward controversial political issues. Political like-mindedness outperforms other friending criteria such as popularity or career-related fit with another user. Political friending is pronounced when individuals' pre-existing opinions are strong. The present study points to the necessity to take the motivational complexity into account when studying phenomena linked to political homogeneity on SNS.

Language: en

Keywords

need for cognitive closure; political extremity; political friending; political homophily; selective exposure