Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates
The influence of partisan identification infiltrates all aspects of a democracy. This study employs an innovative design to explore the presidential debate-viewing experience among young citizens. Data were collected from across the United States for all three 2016 presidential debates between Hilla...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Social Media + Society |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965518 |
| _version_ | 1819229106367102976 |
|---|---|
| author | Freddie J. Jennings Josh C. Bramlett Mitchell S. McKinney Molly M. Hardy |
| author_facet | Freddie J. Jennings Josh C. Bramlett Mitchell S. McKinney Molly M. Hardy |
| author_sort | Freddie J. Jennings |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The influence of partisan identification infiltrates all aspects of a democracy. This study employs an innovative design to explore the presidential debate-viewing experience among young citizens. Data were collected from across the United States for all three 2016 presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump using pretest/posttest surveys and debate viewers’ Twitter posts. Examining Twitter expression as a form of political elaboration, the study employs a social identity theoretical perspective to better understand the process through which viewers form political attitudes. Applying the theory of identity-motivated elaboration (TIME) to presidential debates, the current research illuminates how partisan social identification changes the way viewers think about political issues and, resultantly, evaluate candidates and form political opinions. A strong partisan social identification results in greater identity-consistent elaboration and Twitter expression throughout one’s presidential debate viewing, which results in more biased candidate image evaluations and, subsequently, stronger preference for the in-party candidate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:07:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a3a75cb86cc48f2bb9a8243a255ef2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-3051 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:07:54Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Media + Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a3a75cb86cc48f2bb9a8243a255ef2a2022-12-21T17:49:25ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512020-10-01610.1177/2056305120965518Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential DebatesFreddie J. Jennings0Josh C. Bramlett1Mitchell S. McKinney2Molly M. Hardy3University of Arkansas, USAEastern New Mexico University, USAUniversity of Missouri, USAMaryville University, USAThe influence of partisan identification infiltrates all aspects of a democracy. This study employs an innovative design to explore the presidential debate-viewing experience among young citizens. Data were collected from across the United States for all three 2016 presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump using pretest/posttest surveys and debate viewers’ Twitter posts. Examining Twitter expression as a form of political elaboration, the study employs a social identity theoretical perspective to better understand the process through which viewers form political attitudes. Applying the theory of identity-motivated elaboration (TIME) to presidential debates, the current research illuminates how partisan social identification changes the way viewers think about political issues and, resultantly, evaluate candidates and form political opinions. A strong partisan social identification results in greater identity-consistent elaboration and Twitter expression throughout one’s presidential debate viewing, which results in more biased candidate image evaluations and, subsequently, stronger preference for the in-party candidate.https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965518 |
| spellingShingle | Freddie J. Jennings Josh C. Bramlett Mitchell S. McKinney Molly M. Hardy Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates Social Media + Society |
| title | Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates |
| title_full | Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates |
| title_fullStr | Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates |
| title_short | Tweeting Along Partisan Lines: Identity-Motivated Elaboration and Presidential Debates |
| title_sort | tweeting along partisan lines identity motivated elaboration and presidential debates |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965518 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT freddiejjennings tweetingalongpartisanlinesidentitymotivatedelaborationandpresidentialdebates AT joshcbramlett tweetingalongpartisanlinesidentitymotivatedelaborationandpresidentialdebates AT mitchellsmckinney tweetingalongpartisanlinesidentitymotivatedelaborationandpresidentialdebates AT mollymhardy tweetingalongpartisanlinesidentitymotivatedelaborationandpresidentialdebates |