Search

Recent analytical work reveals the need to assess mediated interactions (independent variable-by-mediator multiplicative terms) in mediation models to ensure the proper reporting of indirect effects. Besides their analytical value, mediated interactions can aid theory development. This study adds a theoretical support structure to this emergent analytical imperative and provides a theory-driven decision tree for incorporating mediated interactions into communication models. More broadly, mediated interactions are used as a basis to encourage the field to move beyond a "one variable, one role" approach to model building. Monte Carlo simulations reflecting common communication research practices were constructed and 1,920,000 datasets were analyzed to reveal the relative upsides and minimal risk incurred from assessing mediated interactions. In addition, the analyses elucidate the downsides incurred from not exploring these relationships when they are present in a population. The implications of these findings for future research and theory development are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elections should serve to reaffirm a citizenry's belief in the legitimacy of its political processes and outcomes. This study focuses on perceptions of vote count accuracy as a criterion variable. An argument is offered that voters' personal perceptions of post-election vote count accuracy are predicted by vote choice, with those citizens who did not vote for the winning candidate having to deal with the cognitive dissonance created by the election outcome. The model offered in this work focuses on an interaction between partisan strength and debate viewing as predictor of vote choice. In addition, an indirect effect of partisanship on vote choice through debate viewing is explored. Debate viewing is shown to promote partisan voting, and vote choice serves as a strong predictor of perceptions of vote count accuracy. A subset of the 2004 National Annenberg general election panel data (N = 5,660) was used for this secondary analysis. Keywords: U.S. presidential elections; cognitive dissonance; debate viewing; partisanship; vote accuracy

This study uses online survey data (n = 127) with an embedded media manipulation to examine relationships between character liking, media enjoyment, and narrative consistent attitudes with late-night political comedian, Stephen Colbert's satirical campaign finance narrative. The data offer empirical support for the notion that narratively structured political satire processing models should consider relevant entertainment psychology and narrative persuasion concepts such as how audiences respond to the main characters and the role enjoyment plays in the process. Using structural equation modeling, media enjoyment significantly mediated the relationship between character liking and narrative consistent attitude formation (about the antagonist), but appears to have functioned as a suppressor variable. Competing models are offered in an Online Appendix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses cognitive responses to different forms of political media like political news and late-night political comedy. It mentions research that focuses towards understanding the influence of popular political media such as Hollywood motion pictures. It also highlights models for understanding the cognitive responses to popular political media to shape attitudes.