The Expansion of Media Choice Has Produced the Ability for Citizens

question 23

Essay

The expansion of media choice has produced the ability for citizens to engage in partisan selective exposure. What is this behavior and why are some worried that it may contribute to societal levels of political polarization? Are there any reasons to think partisan selective exposure may not polarize?

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Definitions:

Logical Assumption

A proposition that is taken for granted as true in the absence of proof for the sake of argument or further study.

Attribution

The process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events, either attributing them to internal dispositions or external situations.

Prejudicial Assumption

An unjustified and often negatively biased preconceived notion or judgment about individuals or groups without sufficient knowledge or evidence.

Social Schemas

Cognitive frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information about the social world and its interactions.