Cognitive, affective, and personality predictors of confirmatory political information seeking

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Brunswick, M. (2021). Cognitive, affective, and personality predictors of confirmatory political information seeking. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Confirmation bias is the phenomenon where an individual seeks, navigates, and processes information in ways to reinforce previously held beliefs or attitudes. Contentious political climates exacerbate effects of confirmatory information seeking, with potentially dire divisive consequences. The present two studies bring together current research in political science and psychology to try to predict confirmation bias behaviors. Specifically, the studies assess affective constructs, including mood state, emotion regulation, and need for affect (NfA), as well as personality driven cognitive constructs, including openness to new experiences and need for cognition (NfC) on the seeking of confirmatory or non-confirmatory political information. Data from Study One was collected before and after the 2016 election and examines the impact of openness to experience, emotion regulation, and their interactions on the seeking of confirmatory political information. Study Two data was from a multi-timepoint survey in the first year and a half of President Trump’s term to examine the impact of emotional state, NfA, NfC, and emotion regulation, and their interactions on discussion seeking with those of dissimilar political views. Multiple moderated hierarchical regressions suggest that individuals who use more engagement-oriented emotion regulation strategies (like reappraisal), have high NfC, or high NfA may be less likely to seek information that confirms their political views. These findings suggest that there may be a combinatorial influence of cognitive and affective influencers related to real world information seeking indicative of confirmation bias.

Details
Author

Brunswick, Michael

Title

Cognitive, affective, and personality predictors of confirmatory political information seeking

Physical Description

1 online resource (72 pages) : PDF

Date

2021

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Confirmation bias is the phenomenon where an individual seeks, navigates, and processes information in ways to reinforce previously held beliefs or attitudes. Contentious political climates exacerbate effects of confirmatory information seeking, with potentially dire divisive consequences. The present two studies bring together current research in political science and psychology to try to predict confirmation bias behaviors. Specifically, the studies assess affective constructs, including mood state, emotion regulation, and need for affect (NfA), as well as personality driven cognitive constructs, including openness to new experiences and need for cognition (NfC) on the seeking of confirmatory or non-confirmatory political information. Data from Study One was collected before and after the 2016 election and examines the impact of openness to experience, emotion regulation, and their interactions on the seeking of confirmatory political information. Study Two data was from a multi-timepoint survey in the first year and a half of President Trump’s term to examine the impact of emotional state, NfA, NfC, and emotion regulation, and their interactions on discussion seeking with those of dissimilar political views. Multiple moderated hierarchical regressions suggest that individuals who use more engagement-oriented emotion regulation strategies (like reappraisal), have high NfC, or high NfA may be less likely to seek information that confirms their political views. These findings suggest that there may be a combinatorial influence of cognitive and affective influencers related to real world information seeking indicative of confirmation bias.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

Psychology
Cognitive psychology

Degree

M.A.

Keywords

Confirmation Bias
Emotion Regulation
Information Seeking
Need for Cognition
Politics

Subject Area

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Levens, Sara

Committee Members

Markant, Doug
Galati, Alexia

Degree Note

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2021.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Brunswick_uncc_0694N_12832

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1992