The power of context: how choice set size and composition influence overall and cross-cutting news exposure

Zhu, Yijia Erika ; Leiner, Dominik J. ; Neuendorf, Nathalie Laura und Scherr, Sebastian (2026): The power of context: how choice set size and composition influence overall and cross-cutting news exposure. In: Oxford University Press (OUP), hqaf031

Abstract

In times of diverse media choices, the context in which choices are made can influence news exposure and opinion change. Inspired by the marketing concept of the choice set, we conducted two experiments in the US (N1 = 731; N2 = 396) to examine how choice set size (number of articles presented at a time) and composition (ratio of supportive “pro” to opposing “anti” articles) affect news exposure, attitudes, and intentions. Smaller choice sets with fewer articles led individuals to select fewer articles overall and fewer cross-cutting articles that challenged preexisting attitudes. Choice set composition did not affect whether individuals engaged with articles or their overall news exposure, but it shaped which articles they chose: the selection and browsing of cross-cutting news differed notably between homogeneous (all pro or all anti) and mixed sets. Neither choice set size nor composition systematically affected attitudes or behavioral intentions in the short term.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Keywords: news exposure, choice sets, digital media environments, attitudes, behavioral intentions, experiment
• Fakultät: Sozialwissenschaften > Institut für Kommunikationswissenschaft und Medienforschung (IfKW)
• Themengebiete: 300 Sozialwissenschaften > 380 Handel, Kommunikation, Verkehr
• ISSN: 0360-3989
• Sprache: Englisch