Bridging the Partisan Divide? Exploring Ambivalence and Information Seeking Over Time in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

Research has shown that holding conflicted attitudes (ambivalence) about political decisions may lead people to act as ideal citizens. One example of this normatively ideal behavior is seen in research linking ambivalence to information seeking. To expand on this line of inquiry, this study examines...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMass communication & society Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 336 - 357
Main Authors Hmielowski, Jay D., Beam, Michael A., Hutchens, Myiah J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia Routledge 04.05.2017
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Ambivalence
Citizens
Panel data
Political attitudes
Presidential elections
United States > US
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Research has shown that holding conflicted attitudes (ambivalence) about political decisions may lead people to act as ideal citizens. One example of this normatively ideal behavior is seen in research linking ambivalence to information seeking. To expand on this line of inquiry, this study examines the over-time relationship between ambivalence and information seeking. We use three-wave panel data collected during the 2012 election to determine whether over-time relationships exist between these variables and test the causal direction of these relationships. We find that use of counterattitudinal information increases ambivalence, which leads people to seek out more counterattitudinal information. We also find that use of pro-attitudinal media decreases levels of ambivalence.
ISSN:1520-5436
1532-7825
DOI:10.1080/15205436.2017.1278775