Incidental Exposure: Learning Dissonant Political Information on Facebook

• In Event: What’s on Your Mind? Political Discussion and News Exposure on Facebook

Abstract

Drawing on a panel survey and a laboratory experiment, this study explores the determinants and the learning consequences of incidental exposure to dissonant political information on Facebook. The frequency of Facebook use is found positively associated with incidental exposure to dissonant political information and this relationship is fully mediated by network heterogeneity. In addition, the findings of the experiment indicate that individuals coming across counter-attitudinal posts are able to recognize and even recall some details of these posts. This study suggests that incidental exposure is an important route for social media users to encounter and learn about dissonant political information. Implications are discussed in terms of the influence of social media use on deliberative democracy.

Author

• Yanqin Lu, Bowling Green State U