Self-Consistency and Self-Enhancement Motivation Impacts on Selective Exposure to Politics — A SESAM Model Application. Issue 2 (4th March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Westerwick, Axel; Sude, Daniel; Brooks, Dana; Kaplan, Berkay; Knobloch-Westerwick, Silvia
• Is Part Of: Mass communication & society. Volume 26:Issue 2(2023)
• Page Start: 300
• Page End: 325
• Publication Date: 2023-03-04
• Subjects: Mass media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Mass media and culture -- Periodicals; Communication -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Communication and culture -- Periodicals; Journalism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Médias -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Médias et culture -- Périodiques; Communication -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Communication et culture -- Périodiques; Presse -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Communication and culture; Communication -- Social aspects; Journalism -- Social aspects; Mass media and culture; Mass media -- Social aspects; Periodicals; 302.23
• DOI: 10.1080/15205436.2022.2056854
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1520-5436

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Building on the SESAM model, influences of self-consistency motivation (evident in bias toward partisanship-consistent messages) and self-enhancement motivation (evident in same-group bias) on selective exposure to political messages were hypothesized. A selective exposure experiment ( N = 113) displayed political messages on eight topics, with messages associated either with male or female authors. Selective exposure patterns demonstrated both partisan bias and same-gender bias. Corroborating the notion that self-enhancement motivation affects exposure to even political content, identity importance and perceptions of public esteem were associated with longer exposure times for messages from same-gender authors.