The world around us and the picture(s) in our heads: The effects of news media use on belief organization

Abstract

Since Converse [1964. The nature of belief systems in mass publics. Critical Review, 18(1-3), 1–74 https://doi.org/10.1080/08913810608443650] asked “What goes with what?”, research tries to answer this question. How individuals perceive the world around them depending on media use has been an endeavor of studying societal beliefs of societal issues separately. Building upon literature on cognitive architecture, we study how media use shapes the formation and stability of belief structures across issues in public opinion reflected in groups of individuals. Using a three-wave panel study, we found (1) that individuals’ perceptions of different issues are interconnected, (2) translating into aggregate-stable, concurring groups in public opinion, and that (3) differential media use affects the formation and stability of these groups.