Is it better to strike a balance? How exposure to congruent and incongruent opinion climates on social networking sites impacts users’ processing and selection of information

The growing significance of social networking sites (SNSs) as venues for political exchanges between citizens raises questions on the consequences their use. This pre-registered experiment ( N = 704) aexamined to what extent a gradual variation congruence users’ opinions and opinion climate they encounter SNSs affect strength selective exposure. No effects were found from level exposure, while exploratory analyses suggested that exposure overly congruent climates can lead marginally stronger opinions. Building research into identities which suggests polarizing latter, interaction ideological SNS additionally investigated. However, present work no indication are modulated by identity salience. Taken together, findings this study suggest socially divisive like-minded or non-like-minded conveyed may be limited.