Antecedents of internal political efficacy incidental news exposure online and the mediating role of political discussion

DOI10.1177/0263395717693251
Date01 February 2019
Published date01 February 2019
Subject MatterArticles
/tmp/tmp-18oOR47FxsoTrP/input 693251POL0010.1177/0263395717693251PoliticsArdèvol-Abreu et al.
research-article2017
Article
Politics
2019, Vol. 39(1) 82 –100
Antecedents of internal
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political efficacy incidental
https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395717693251
DOI: 10.1177/0263395717693251
journals.sagepub.com/home/pol
news exposure online and
the mediating role of political
discussion

Alberto Ardèvol-Abreu
Universidad de La Laguna, España
Trevor Diehl
University of Vienna, Austria
Homero Gil de Zúñiga
University of Vienna, Austria
Universidad Diego Portales, Chile
Abstract
Internal political efficacy has long been associated with news use and political discussion. Yet,
as more people are inadvertently exposed to news and political discussion online, it remains
unclear whether incidental news exposure also has a discursive effect on political efficacy. In a
two-wave panel study, we applied the O-S-R-O-R model of communication effects to test these
relationships. We found that political discussion with weak ties, but not strong ties, is a mediator
between incidental news exposure and internal political efficacy.
Keywords
incidental news exposure, internal political efficacy, network tie strength, news media, political
discussion
Received: 18th March 2016; Revised version received: 14th December 2016; Accepted: 18th December 2016
Corresponding author:
Alberto Ardèvol-Abreu, Departamento de Ciencias de la Comunicación y Trabajo Social, Facultad de
Ciencias Políticas, Sociales y de la Comunicación, Universidad de La Laguna, Av. César Manrique, Campus de
Guajara, S/C de Tenerife 38071, España.
Email: aardevol@ull.es

Ardèvol-Abreu et al.
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Introduction
Scholars have long emphasized the important role political self-efficacy plays in stimulat-
ing political participation, civic engagement, and other behaviours related to democratic
norms (e.g. Gastil and Xenos, 2010; Rosenstone and Hansen, 1993; Verba and Nie, 1972).
The basic idea is that individuals are more likely to participate in the democratic process
if they feel that they understand their political environment (internal efficacy), and that
their actions can make a difference (external efficacy) (Bandura, 2002; Craig, 1979;
Morrell, 2003). In spite of evidence for a strong influence of political efficacy on a variety
of pro-democratic outcomes, only a few studies have explored its antecedents or predic-
tors (Kenski and Stroud, 2006; Marx and Nguyen, 2016; Moeller et al., 2014). This is
particularly the case for the internal dimension of political efficacy. In contrast, research
suggests that external efficacy and political participation have reciprocal predictive rela-
tions; in other words, participatory behaviours are not only the outcome but also the
antecedent of external efficacy (Finkel, 1985).
Previous research has called for further investigation into the behavioural antecedents
of internal efficacy that, when compared to other forms of political engagement, require
a higher ‘emotional or cognitive activation’ (Finkel, 1985: 907). The current study adds
to this strand of literature by exploring individual demographic and political orientations
that predict people’s perception of their ability to participate in political life. Next, the
study seeks to advance the role of media use and discussion network effects in boosting
internal political efficacy. In particular, the study proposes a model for how incidental and
intentional news exposure, along with interpersonal reasoning mechanisms (political dis-
cussion with strong and weak ties), creates opportunities to learn about, and discuss, poli-
tics. These are salient research issues, given the ubiquity of media content from social
media and online sources, and the numerous chances to simultaneously discuss politics
online and offline.
Drawing on the framework of an O-S-R-O-R (Orientation-Stimulus-Reasoning-
Orientation-Response) model of communication effects (Cho et al., 2009; Jung et al.,
2011), political discussion is tested as a mediator of the relationship between news expo-
sure and internal political self-efficacy. Using panel survey data, we find that a set of
social orientations – strength of partisanship, political knowledge, discussion network
size, and political interest – are all strong predictors of internal efficacy. This study also
tests how incidental exposure to news might influence political discussion with strong
and weak discussion network ties and, in turn, help explain a sense of political compe-
tence. Analyses reveal that both intentional news use and incidental exposure to news
have only indirect effects on internal efficacy, through political discussion with weak ties,
but not strong ties. These results not only extend our understanding of when and how
people generate a sense of political efficacy but also the mechanisms for how news and
discussion intertwine to foster internal efficacy.
Literature review
Developing the O-S-R-O-R model of media effects
Research on media effects, particularly with regard to campaign media exposure and
participatory behaviours, has progressively abandoned the simple stimulus–response
(S-R) models in favour of more articulated and complex ones, also called ‘indirect para-
digms of media effects’ (Holbert and Stephenson, 2003). Rooted in behavioural psychol-
ogy (Markus and Zajonc, 1985), the O-S-O-R model proposes a three-step model of

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Politics 39(1)
communication effects that flows: from previous orientations (O) to media stimuli (S),
from media stimuli to subsequent orientations (O), and from subsequent orientations to a
cognitive or behavioural response (R). This framework was introduced in political com-
munication research as a useful tool for explaining certain mediating mechanisms of
direct media effects. For example, media attention, interpersonal communication, and
cognitive elaboration have all been used in this framework to explain the relationship
between media exposure and behavioural or cognitive outcomes (Eveland, 2001; McLeod
et al., 2001).
In the O-S-O-R framework, the first set of orientations (O) corresponds with ‘struc-
tural, cultural, and motivational characteristics of the audience’ (McLeod et al., 1994:
146) that influences the selection and overall impact of a message received from the
media. The stimulus (S) usually refers to news consumption and exposure – though inter-
personal communication is sometimes tested as a stimulus – as a mediator of ‘the effects
of demographic, dispositional, and structural factors on cognitive and behavioral out-
comes’ (Cho et al., 2009: 71). A second set of orientations (O) derives from media expo-
sure, and represents ‘what is likely to happen between reception of the message and the
response of the audience’ (McLeod et al., 1994: 147). In turn, a final response (R) refers
to eventual outcome behaviours of media exposure, such as political participation or civic
engagement (e.g. Cho et al., 2009), although some studies have explored cognitive out-
comes as responses to media exposure (Eveland et al., 2003).
Authors concerned with understanding the complex relationships between mass media
exposure, interpersonal communication, and the underlying cognitive processes of media
effects have proposed an updated version of the O-S-O-R framework. This initial media-
tion model has recently been expanded in order to better account for various activities that
result from media exposure, like conversations, reflection, and cognitive elaboration.
These processes, some authors argue, are not truly ‘subsequent orientations’ stemming
from direct media effects, but are instead reasoning processes taking place between some
media stimuli (S) and subsequent outcome orientations (second O) (Cho et al., 2009; Jung
et al., 2011; Shah et al., 2007). For this reason, Cho et al. (2009) proposed an O-S-R-O-R
(Orientation-Stimulus-Reasoning-Orientation-Response) chain of causation. The addi-
tion of reasoning (R) to the model allows researchers to account for reflection on media
content, and includes various forms of reasoning: anticipation of conversation, composi-
tion of ideas for expression, and cognitive elaboration. Reasoning can also refer to inter-
personal forms of reasoning (e.g. political discussion).
In line with this literature, this study argues that demographics and political attributes
(Orientations) will predict news consumption patterns and incidental news exposure
(Stimulus). This media stimulus will have a further influence on social reasoning mecha-
nisms: political discussion with both strong and weak ties (Reasoning). These ties, in
turn, should influence people’s perceptions of how well equipped they are to partake in
the political process (internal political self-efficacy, Outcome). This theoretical and
empirical model also answers a call made by Cho et al. (2009) for further research regard-
ing outcome orientations. Thus, we advance the O-S-R-O-R model of communication
effects by introducing internal efficacy as an outcome orientation.
Demographic and social orientations (O)
Demographic variables have been found to explain most of the variance in political self-
efficacy (Kenski and Stroud, 2006). This is because political self-efficacy is determined,
at least in part, by an individual’s tendency to reflect on their experiences in order to

Ardèvol-Abreu et al.
85
achieve goals, solve problems, or master a task (Bandura, 2002). In the political realm, ...

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