Social Media and Politics Political Persuasion and the Effects of Targeted Social Media Ads, with Dr. Alexander Coppock
Sep 24, 2023
Dr. Alexander Coppock, Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, shares his research on political persuasion and the effects of targeted social media ads. Topics discussed include the minimal impact of digital political ads, the logic and importance of randomized experiments, the use of persuasive information in politics, and the effectiveness of persuasion vs mobilization in political campaigns.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Motivated Reasoning Study
- A 1979 study by Lord, Ross, and Lepper presented biased evidence for motivated reasoning.
- Their study lacked a control group and relied on self-reported attitude change, leading to flawed conclusions.
Randomization's Impact
- Replicating the 1979 study with proper randomization revealed opposite results.
- Exposure to persuasive information shifted opinions in the direction of the information, regardless of initial views.
RCTs in Social Science
- Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are crucial for isolating treatment effects.
- Randomization eliminates selection bias, allowing for accurate measurement of average treatment effects.