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Is Personality Key? Persuasive Effects of Prior Attitudes and Personality in Political Microtargeting
[journal article]
Abstract Messages that are designed to match a recipient’s personality, as enabled by microtargeting, have been found to influence political reasoning and even voting intentions. We extended these findings by adding prior attitudes to a microtargeting setting. Specifically, we examined what role different mi... view more
Messages that are designed to match a recipient’s personality, as enabled by microtargeting, have been found to influence political reasoning and even voting intentions. We extended these findings by adding prior attitudes to a microtargeting setting. Specifically, we examined what role different microtargeting approaches play in political reasoning by conducting an online experiment with a 2 (extraverted vs. introverted communication) × 2 (attitude-congruent vs. attitude-incongruent statement) between-subject design (N = 368). In line with the assumptions of the theory of motivated reasoning, attitude position matching emerged as an effective microtargeting strategy, and attitude strength moderated the effect of attitude congruency on recipients’ evaluations of political ads. While extraverted messages had no direct effect, that was unrelated to attitude congruency, recipients’ level of extraversion moderated the effect of extraverted communication on their evaluation of an ad. Interestingly, the intention to vote was significantly higher when an attitude-incongruent statement was phrased in an introverted rather than an extraverted manner, suggesting that information that challenges prior attitudes might be more persuasive when it is delivered in a more temperate way. In sum, the study indicates that matching message with personality alone might not be the most effective microtargeting approach within democratic societies.... view less
Keywords
extroversion; personality traits; political communication; voting behavior; political attitude; influenceability; introversion
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Impact Research, Recipient Research
Free Keywords
motivated reasoning; political attitudes; political microtargeting
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 250-261
Journal
Media and Communication, 11 (2023) 3
Issue topic
Social Media's Role in Political and Societal Mobilization
ISSN
2183-2439
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed