Is Facebook making us dumber? Exploring social media use as a predictor of political knowledge
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 95(2), 404-424. doi:10.1177/1077699018770447
Abstract: With social networking site (SNS) use now ubiquitous in American culture, researchers have started paying attention to its effects in a variety of domains. This study explores the relationships between measures of Facebook use and political knowledge levels using a pair of representative samples of U.S. adults. We find that although the mere use of Facebook was unrelated to political knowledge scores, how Facebook users report engaging with the SNS was strongly associated with knowledge levels. Importantly, the increased use of Facebook for news consumption and news sharing was negatively related to political knowledge levels. Possible explanations and implications are discussed.
Free Smiles are Worth a lot for Social Media Influencers: The Mediating Roles of Warmth, Competence, and Admiration
Abstract: This research examines how visual representation of social media influencers affects perceptions and attitudes toward influencers and their persuasive messages. Using the theoretical frameworks of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and the Behaviors from Interpersonal Affect and Stereotypes (BIAS) Map, Study 1 demonstrated that influencers with broad smiles were perceived as warmer and more […]
Democrat or Republican? Using Political Stereotypes as a Bias Discussion Exercise
Keith Herndon, Charlotte Norsworthy (Grady M.A. student), and Ryan Kor-Sims (Grady M.A., doctoral student at Utah). (2020) Democrat or Republican? Using Political Stereotypes as a Bias Discussion Exercise. Abstract: This innovative practice paper explains a classroom leadership exercise that asks students to identify anonymous people as either Democrats or Republicans based only on brief descriptions. […]
