Exploring the Potential for Mobile Communications to Engender an Engaged Citizenry: A Comparative Study of University Students in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

A galaxy of apps: Mobile app reliance and the indirect influence on political participation through political discussion and trust

“…Studies have not directly explored whether trust in discussion serves as a mediator between mobile app reliance and political participation, but they do suggest that political discussion builds interpersonal trust, which creates bonds between discussants and motivates them to participate in political activities. Because interpersonal trust is a mediator between mobile app use and political participation (Chan et al, 2016), this study next extends the O-S-R-O-R model by analyzing the indirect relationship between reliance on apps and political participation (the final “R” for audience response in the O-S-R-O-R model) with trust in offline and online discussion as mediators.…”

“…However, although media reliance might directly influence political participation, O-S-R-O-R researchers contend that political discussion mediates this relationship (Boulianne, 2009(Boulianne, , 2015Shah, 2016: Shah et al, 2017. When testing to see whether discussion is a mediator between mobile app use and political participation, several studies found that online discussion is a stronger mediator than face-to-face communication (Chan et al, 2016;Yoo et al, 2015).…”

“…Studies have not directly explored whether trust in discussion serves as a mediator between mobile app reliance and political participation, but they do suggest that political discussion builds interpersonal trust, which creates bonds between discussants and motivates them to participate in political activities. Because interpersonal trust is a mediator between mobile app use and political participation (Chan et al, 2016)…”

Partisan Strength and Social Media Use Among Voters During the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council Election: Examining the Roles of Ambivalence and Disagreement

“…While such apps may not be suitable for seeking new information because they are primarily tools of interpersonal communication among small groups, they do provide outlets for political expression. For example, in a cross-cultural comparative study of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, Chan, Lee, and Chen (2016) found that the use of messaging apps for political discussion was related to political and civic participation among young university students. However, whether partisans are more likely to use messaging apps for expressive purposes during elections has not received much attention.…”