Political opinion formation in modern media environments
research areas
Media effects
Politics
Social Media
Social relations
Technology
timeframe
2021 - 2021
contact
t.zerback@ikmz.uzh.ch
Political opinion formation in modern media environments
This question is particularly significant when it comes to political issues as people are social beings and as such they are subject to social influences that shape their own attitudes and behaviour.
How do we form an opinion of others? Social media, especially social networking sites, have significantly increased the visibility of other citizens’ opinions. The project explores the question of what influence the new media have on our image of public opinion and what effects this has on our perception and behaviour.
Background
Algorithmic and human selection should lead to considerable differences in the diversity of political opinions citizens are exposed to everyday.
Research Questions
- How do the different sources of political opinion and information contribute to the diversity of individual opinion environments?
- How do these environments influence political attitudes and political participation?
Project Aim
The aim is to determine the diversity of individual and societal opinion environments, to identify their causes and effects as well as to analyse the underlying dynamics.