Date of Award:

8-2025

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Political Science

Committee Chair(s)

Lauren Van De Hey

Committee

Lauren Van De Hey

Committee

Damon Cann

Committee

Austin Knuppe

Abstract

Social media has changed the way we learn about global events. With just a few clicks, people can see powerful images of war and humanitarian crises from around the world. But how do these images, and the way they are presented, affect how people think about political candidates? This study looks at how different kinds of social media content influence voter opinions. Using a survey experiment designed to mimic real Instagram posts, participants were shown content related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Some posts included only text. Others added data through charts and statistics. A third group saw emotional images of destruction combined with the same data.

The results indicate that how information is framed matters. People who saw the emotional images were less likely to support the fictional candidate featured in the posts. In contrast, those who saw only data were more moderate in their responses. The study also found that people who spend a lot of time on social media were generally less supportive of the candidate overall, suggesting that constant exposure to political content can lead to emotional fatigue or skepticism.

This research helps us understand how modern political communication works. As voters get more of their news from platforms like Instagram, the way messages are shared can shape opinions in powerful ways. For political campaigns, journalists, and advocacy groups, these findings offer insight into how to communicate effectively in the digital age. At the same time, the study raises questions about how emotional or data-heavy content can influence public opinion, especially on sensitive global issues. Understanding these effects is important for promoting informed and responsible political discourse.

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