TY - JOUR
T1 - Conflict-Framed News, Self-Categorization, and Partisan Polarization
AU - Han, Jiyoung
AU - Federico, Christopher M
PY - 2017/7/4
Y1 - 2017/7/4
N2 - Two experiments tested whether exposure to partisan conflict-framed news polarizes news consumers along party lines. Partisan self-categorization and motivated reasoning were examined as potential mediators of this effect. In two samples, path analyses showed that Democrats and Republicans exposed to partisan conflict-framed news adopted more polarized opinions on a disputed issue. This polarization effect was consistently mediated by perceived argument validity, an indicator of motivated reasoning; increased partisan self-categorization also mediated the effect, though less reliably and consistently. Thus, the present study adds to the literature on polarization by providing experimental evidence that exposure to conflict-framed news may contribute to partisan polarization. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
AB - Two experiments tested whether exposure to partisan conflict-framed news polarizes news consumers along party lines. Partisan self-categorization and motivated reasoning were examined as potential mediators of this effect. In two samples, path analyses showed that Democrats and Republicans exposed to partisan conflict-framed news adopted more polarized opinions on a disputed issue. This polarization effect was consistently mediated by perceived argument validity, an indicator of motivated reasoning; increased partisan self-categorization also mediated the effect, though less reliably and consistently. Thus, the present study adds to the literature on polarization by providing experimental evidence that exposure to conflict-framed news may contribute to partisan polarization. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1080/15205436.2017.1292530
DO - 10.1080/15205436.2017.1292530
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85017444140
SN - 1520-5436
VL - 20
SP - 455
EP - 480
JO - Mass Communication and Society
JF - Mass Communication and Society
IS - 4
ER -