Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes
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The Ohio State University / OhioLINK
2017
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498740182855649 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu14987401828556492021-08-03T07:03:09Z Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes Santoro, Lauren Ratliff Political Science political behavior social networks network analysis Do the social environments in which individuals live and work influence their attitudes and beliefs about politics? Isolating the effect of the social environment on individual political beliefs is constrained by the reality that individuals construct their own social worlds. This dissertation conceptualizes this reality, not as a problem, but as a fundamental theoretical postulate that drives if and how individuals are influenced by their social environments. Specifically, individuals choose to be changed, and this choice conditions where, if, and how they are influenced by their social environments. Utilizing two novel empirical studies, it demonstrates that individuals’ previously established beliefs about politics both directly and indirectly inform their selection into social networks and contexts where individuals with strong political beliefs and interest in politics are more likely to select into environments that support those beliefs than individuals with weak beliefs and low interest. Furthermore, once the reasons for environment selection are held constant, influence within those settings is illuminated. Individuals who select into politically homogenous groups are more likely to be politically influenced by that group than individuals who select into politically heterogeneous groups, though the campaign can activate even politically heterogeneous groups to act on individuals’ attitudes about politics. The political composition of a social group also alters how influence works in those settings where aspects of the network itself are more likely to impact individuals’ political beliefs in politically homogenous groups; where as, information sharing, cognitive dissonance, and normative pressure operates on attitudes in politically heterogeneous groups. Taken together, this dissertation demonstrates that individuals deliberately control where, if, and how they are influenced by their social environments. Specifically, individuals are most likely to be influenced by individuals like themselves. 2017-11-02 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498740182855649 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498740182855649 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
| collection |
NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Political Science political behavior social networks network analysis |
| spellingShingle |
Political Science political behavior social networks network analysis Santoro, Lauren Ratliff Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| author |
Santoro, Lauren Ratliff |
| author_facet |
Santoro, Lauren Ratliff |
| author_sort |
Santoro, Lauren Ratliff |
| title |
Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| title_short |
Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| title_full |
Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| title_fullStr |
Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Choosing to be Changed: How Selection Conditions the Effect of Social Networks on Political Attitudes |
| title_sort |
choosing to be changed: how selection conditions the effect of social networks on political attitudes |
| publisher |
The Ohio State University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2017 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498740182855649 |
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AT santorolaurenratliff choosingtobechangedhowselectionconditionstheeffectofsocialnetworksonpoliticalattitudes |
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