•  22
    Internet users have access to a multitude of science-related information – on journalistic news sites but also on blogs with user-generated content. In this context, we investigated in two studies the factors which influence laypersons’ selective exposure. In an experiment with a collection of online news, parents were asked to search for information about the controversy surrounding violence in the media. Texts from high-reputation sources were clicked on more frequently – regardless of content…Read more
  •  8
    Crisis alert: (Dis)information selection and sharing in the COVID-19 pandemic
    with Lea-Johanna Klebba
    Communications. forthcoming.
    High levels of threat and uncertainty characterize the onset of societal crises. Here, people are exposed to conflicting information in the media, including disinformation. Because individuals often base their news selection on pre-existing attitudes, the present study aims to examine selective exposure effects in the face of a crisis, and identify right-wing ideological, trust-, and science-related beliefs that might influence the selection and sharing of disinformation. A representative survey…Read more
  •  6
    We’re a good match: Selective political friending on social networking sites
    with Manuel Cargnino and German Neubaum
    Communications 48 (2): 202-225. 2023.
    To date, the role of user behavior in the formation of politically homogeneous online environments (oftentimes called echo chambers) is not fully understood. Building on selective exposure research, we introduce the notion of selective political friending, that is, the preference for political like-mindedness in social affiliations on social networking sites. In a pre-registered laboratory experiment with users of social networking sites in Germany (N = 199), we find that users preferably build …Read more
  •  5
    Beware of Selfies: The Impact of Photo Type on Impression Formation Based on Social Networking Profiles
    with Nicole C. Krämer, Markus Feurstein, Jan P. Kluck, Yannic Meier, and Marius Rother
    Frontiers in Psychology 8. 2017.