TY - JOUR
T1 - Interactivity and political attitude formation
T2 - A mediation model of online information processing
AU - Song, Indeok
AU - Bucy, Erik P.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - With the rise of new media, interactivity has become a central focus of research on information technology and politics. To better position the concept for systematic investigation, this study locates interactivity in the relationship between interface features and user perceptions and tests a mediation model of online information processing. The mediation model is based on the idea that objective (or technological) aspects of interactivity are not directly responsible for outcomes, whether cognitive, affective, or attitudinal, but instead are mediated by perceptions during Internet use. The results from an experiment conducted during the 2004 general election involving a political Web site support the mediation model for predicting the effects of interactivity on political attitude formation. Perceived interactivity was found to mediate the effect of objective interactivity on attitudes toward the Web site and politician for whom the site was designed. However, for policy issues promoted on the site, mediation could not be established. In the relationship between objective and perceived interactivity, Internet self-efficacy was also found to be a significant moderator, influencing evaluative outcomes and the degree of perceived interactivity during Web use.
AB - With the rise of new media, interactivity has become a central focus of research on information technology and politics. To better position the concept for systematic investigation, this study locates interactivity in the relationship between interface features and user perceptions and tests a mediation model of online information processing. The mediation model is based on the idea that objective (or technological) aspects of interactivity are not directly responsible for outcomes, whether cognitive, affective, or attitudinal, but instead are mediated by perceptions during Internet use. The results from an experiment conducted during the 2004 general election involving a political Web site support the mediation model for predicting the effects of interactivity on political attitude formation. Perceived interactivity was found to mediate the effect of objective interactivity on attitudes toward the Web site and politician for whom the site was designed. However, for policy issues promoted on the site, mediation could not be established. In the relationship between objective and perceived interactivity, Internet self-efficacy was also found to be a significant moderator, influencing evaluative outcomes and the degree of perceived interactivity during Web use.
KW - Mediation model
KW - Political attitudes
KW - Political interactivity
KW - Web site evaluations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77950776699&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/19331680802076082
DO - 10.1080/19331680802076082
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77950776699
VL - 4
SP - 29
EP - 61
JO - Journal of Information Technology and Politics
JF - Journal of Information Technology and Politics
SN - 1933-1681
IS - 2
ER -