TY - JOUR
T1 - Game Over? Using (Not So) Innovative Interventions to Increase Digital Campaign Competence
AU - Minihold, Sophie
AU - Lecheler, Sophie
AU - de Vreese, Claes
AU - Kruikemeier, Sanne
PY - 2024/9/28
Y1 - 2024/9/28
N2 - Data-driven political campaigning strategies often remain a black box for citizens; however, educational interventions provide a means to enhance understanding, conscious evaluations, and skills. In this context, we term this combination digital campaign competence (DCC). We conducted an online pre-registered experiment in Austria (N = 553) using a 2 × 2 between-subject design to compare intervention formats (reading a voter guide vs. playing a campaign game) and content framing (emphasizing risks vs. benefits of data-driven campaigning) plus a control condition. Results show no significant differences in framing on DCC. However, variations are observed among different formats, with the non-interactive voter guide proving to be the most effective one. Contrary to our expectations, the voter guide emphasizing the risks of data-driven political campaigning enhanced conceptual understanding levels, influenced evaluative perceptions, and aided skill development to detect highly targeted ads. We argue that innovative interventions do not always guarantee success in enhancing competencies.
AB - Data-driven political campaigning strategies often remain a black box for citizens; however, educational interventions provide a means to enhance understanding, conscious evaluations, and skills. In this context, we term this combination digital campaign competence (DCC). We conducted an online pre-registered experiment in Austria (N = 553) using a 2 × 2 between-subject design to compare intervention formats (reading a voter guide vs. playing a campaign game) and content framing (emphasizing risks vs. benefits of data-driven campaigning) plus a control condition. Results show no significant differences in framing on DCC. However, variations are observed among different formats, with the non-interactive voter guide proving to be the most effective one. Contrary to our expectations, the voter guide emphasizing the risks of data-driven political campaigning enhanced conceptual understanding levels, influenced evaluative perceptions, and aided skill development to detect highly targeted ads. We argue that innovative interventions do not always guarantee success in enhancing competencies.
KW - competence
KW - data-driven campaign
KW - gamified
KW - inoculation
KW - intervention
KW - political advertising
U2 - 10.1177/20563051241279253
DO - 10.1177/20563051241279253
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85205431576
SN - 2056-3051
VL - 10
JO - Social Media and Society
JF - Social Media and Society
IS - 3
ER -