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Lukas Otto

Biographic Data

ID4394290
NAMELukas Otto
GIVEN NAMESLukas
FAMILY NAMEOtto
SIGNATUREOTTO L
AFFILIATIONSUniversity of Amsterdam
ORCID0000-0002-4374-6924
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS22
TOTAL CITATIONS130
AUTHOR COUNT22
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2014
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2026
H-INDEX6
  • Two Forms of Media Distrust: Cynicism, Skepticism, and Online News Exposure

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Frank Mangold et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Research•2026

    The relationship between trust in the news media and news use has been studied extensively, yet findings remain inconsistent. We argue that a key source of this inconsistency is the conflation of two distinct forms of media distrust: skepticism and cynicism. Additionally, prior research largely relies on self-reported news use, which is prone to bias. To address both issues, we link survey data with web-tracking data from 739 participants during …

  • Angry and Alerted, Happy and Informed? An Experience Sampling Study on the Relationship Between Sentiment, Affect, and Attention Toward Campaign Communication

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Fabian Thomas et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Research•2026

    This study examines how emotional reactions to campaign communication relate to attentional processes and, ultimately, to general interest in a political campaign. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion and the broaden-and-build theory, we argue that emotional responses to political communication play a central role in shaping different forms of attention and elaboration. Specifically, emotions may foster a narrow attentional focus directed at …

  • Effects of data-driven campaigning: An integrative framework, literature review, and research agenda

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, Selina Noetzel et al.•ARTICLE•Annals of the International…•2026•References: 36

    The positive and negative consequences of data-driven campaigning (DDC) in the digital era have been hotly debated among policymakers and scholars. This article applies a top–down approach by first introducing a framework to conceptualize the potential individual-level effects of DDC. Based on the framework, we then conducted a literature review to evaluate existing findings. A research agenda is proposed to call for more attention to: (a) DDC wi…

  • A Systematic Review of the Effects of AI-Assisted Moderation on Individuals and Groups

    Open Access•Zehui Yu, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Human-Machine Communication•2024

    This review paper provides a conceptualization of AI-assisted content moderation with various degrees of autonomy and summarizes experimental evidence for how different levels of automation in content moderation and related losses of autonomy affect individuals and groups. Our results show that current research predominantly focuses on individual level effects, necessitating a shift toward understanding the impact on groups. The study highlights …

  • On or off topic? Understanding the effects of issue-related political targeted ads

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Information Communication & Society•2024

    Whilst data-driven strategies are allegedly prevalent in political campaigns, evidence regarding their actual effectiveness is scarce. This study investigates, from an individual perspective, the effect of issue congruency in political ads on immediate responses and voting behaviors. To reach our goal, we combined different types of data collection: mobile experience sampling method (mESM), panel survey, and content analysis. The combined approac…

  • Incivility in Comparison: How Context, Content, and Personal Characteristics Predict Exposure to Uncivil Content

    Open Access•Felix Schmidt, Sebastian Stier et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 2•References: 15

    Incivility, that is, the breaking of social norms of conversation, is evidently prevalent in online political communication. While a growing literature provides evidence on the prevalence of incivility in different online venues, it is still unclear where and to what extent Internet users are exposed to incivility. This paper takes a comparative approach to assess the levels of incivility across contexts, content and personal characteristics. The…

  • Citizens’ Acceptance of Data-Driven Political Campaigning: A 25-Country Cross-National Vignette Study

    Open Access•R Vliegenthart, Jade Vrielink et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 8•References: 9

    This paper investigates how the acceptance of data-driven political campaigning depends on four different message characteristics. A vignette study was conducted in 25 countries with a total of 14,390 respondents who all evaluated multiple descriptions of political advertisements. Relying on multi-level models, we find that in particular the source and the issue of the message matters. Messages that are sent by a party the respondent likes and de…

  • Do Online Ads Sway Voters? Understanding the Persuasiveness of Online Political Ads

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, R Vliegenthart et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2024•Cited by: 7•References: 61

    This study investigates the effect of online political ads on party preference, and whether this effect is more pronounced for newer political parties and voters who are less politically knowledgeable and literate regarding online privacy. A mixed-method approach, combining Facebook browser tracking data and a four-wave panel survey, was adopted during the 2021 Dutch General Election campaign. The results showed that the number of political ads r…

  • Linkage Analysis Revised – Linking Digital Traces and Survey Data

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Felicia Löecherbach et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2023•Cited by: 1•References: 34

    Linkage analysis, i.e. linking media exposure, content, and surveys, has been a powerful tool to assess media effects. However, the development of online communication and the advent of social media brings about many challenges for traditional linkage designs. In this paper, we explain the three steps of linkage designs for online communication effects and the usage of computational approaches to capture communication exposure and content. We the…

  • The smartphone as a tool for mobile communication research: Assessing mobile campaign perceptions and effects with experience sampling

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sanne Kruikemeier•ARTICLE•New Media & Society•2023•Cited by: 4•References: 8

    Mobile communication differs from other forms of mediated communication in terms of connectedness, dynamics, omnipresence, and interactivity. Consequently, it can be difficult for scholars to investigate mobile communication using traditional research methods. The main goal of this article is to show how the mobile experience sampling method (MESM), in combination with data donations, can be useful for addressing the challenges of mobile communic…

  • Linking Media Content and Survey Data in a Dynamic and Digital Media Environment – Mobile Longitudinal Linkage Analysis

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Fabian Thomas et al.•ARTICLE•Digital Journalism•2022

    We introduce a design that is able to face some of the challenges that digital news consumption is posing to traditional media effects methods like linkage analysis. The challenges include (1) memory errors and biases when reporting everyday news media consumption leading to (2) errors when linking mass media outlets to survey data; (3) personalization of media content, as well as (4) short-term dynamic processes. Mobile Intensive Longitudinal Li…

  • Understanding the democratic role of perceived online political micro-targeting: Longitudinal effects on trust in democracy and political interest

    Open Access•Jörg Matthes, Melanie Hirsch et al.•ARTICLE•Journal of Information Technology…•2022•Cited by: 6•References: 19

    With the increasing availability of big digital voter data, there are rising concerns that online political micro-targeting (PMT) may be harmful for democratic societies. However, PMT may also be beneficial to democracy because it targets voters with content that matches with their predispositions, potentially increasing political interest. For both, harmful and beneficial outcomes of PMT, we lack empirical evidence on the side of citizens. In a …

  • How to Capture Reciprocal Communication Dynamics: Comparing Longitudinal Statistical Approaches in Order to Analyze Within- and Between-Person Effects

    Open Access•Fabian Thomas, Adam Shehata et al.•ARTICLE•Journal of Communication•2021

    Choosing an appropriate statistical model to analyze reciprocal relations between individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors over time can be challenging. Often, decisions for or against specific models are rather implicit and it remains unclear whether the statistical approach fits the theory of interest. For longitudinal models, this is problematic since within- and between-person processes can be confounded leading to wrong conclusions. Tak…

  • Is there a visual bias in televised debates? Evidence from Germany, 2002–2017

    Open Access•J Maier, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Visual Communication•2021•Cited by: 2•References: 12

    Media professionals make use of various production techniques in the visual portrayal of politicians on television. A large body of literature indicates that these techniques exert varying influence on, for example, the evaluation of these actors, leading to the question of whether politicians are depicted in an equal way. Focusing on televised debates, this content analysis of five German debates aims to determine if there is a visual bias in th…

  • Measuring Reciprocal Dynamics between Communication Processes and Effects in Distinct Growth Sequences

    Fabian Thomas, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2020•Cited by: 3•References: 14

    Over the last years, analyzing the dynamic reciprocal relationship between communication processes (i.e. mediated and interpersonal communication) and associated attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors has become more salient in communication research. However, methodological studies that focus on such communication dynamics are rare. In this paper, we present a model that tackles two statistical challenges of interrelated communication dynamics: (1) me…

  • Expanding the Methodological Toolbox: Factorial Surveys in Journalism Research

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger•ARTICLE•Journalism Studies•2020•Cited by: 1•References: 20

    Experimental designs to examine attitudes and behavior are crucial to make causal inferences. However, studies that assess attitudes and behavior of journalists are still dominated by correlational designs, such as used in surveys with journalists. Elaborating on historical and practical reasons for that, we argue in this paper why journalism scholars may benefit from including a certain experimental approach to their toolbox: the factorial surve…

  • Is Context the Key? The (Non-)Differential Effects of Mediated Incivility in Three European Countries

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sophie Lecheler et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2020•Cited by: 38•References: 57

    There is a worry that serious forms of political conflict, in particular, uncivil behavior of politicians, increases political cynicism and demobilizes the public. Despite the close relation of incivility with social and cultural norms of what is an acceptable form of discussion, studies are mostly restricted to one country. To overcome this blind spot, we conduct a cross-national experiment in three countries (the Netherlands, UK and Spain) test…

  • Journalistic Views on Hard and Soft News: Cross-Validating a Popular Concept in a Factorial Survey

    Open Access•Isabella Glogger, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Journalism & Mass Communication…•2019•Cited by: 5•References: 15

    Despite the popularity of the concept of hard and soft news, researchers regularly criticize the vague definitions and inconsistent conceptualizations. Following claims for standardization of concept in journalism research, this article aims to cross-validate the most recent understanding of the concept. We conducted a factorial survey with newspaper journalists to probe the question as to which of the theoretically assumed dimensions of the conc…

  • Beyond simple valence: Discrete emotions as mediators of political communication effects on trust in politicians

    Open Access•Lukas Otto•ARTICLE•Studies in Communication and Media•2018•Cited by: 2•References: 34

    Within this paper, the relationship between citizens’ emotional reactions to politi-cal reporting and their judgment of trust in politicians is investigated. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, this paper seeks to answer the question whether affect predicts trust judgments and which emotion plays what role. Findings of two media effects studies, one in the context of the 2013 German televised debate and in the context of the 2014 EU elec-ti…

  • Measuring the perceived uncertainty of scientific evidence and its relationship to engagement with science

    Open Access•Joachim Retzbach, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Public Understanding of Science•2016

    Many scholars have argued for the need to communicate openly not only scientific successes to the public but also limitations, such as the tentativeness of research findings, in order to enhance public trust and engagement. Yet, it has not been quantitatively assessed how the perception of scientific uncertainties relates to engagement with science on an individual level. In this article, we report the development and testing of a new questionnai…

  • The Softening of Journalistic Political Communication: A Comprehensive Framework Model of Sensationalism, Soft News, Infotainment, and Tabloidization

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Theory•2016•Cited by: 42•References: 32

    Despite the scholarly popularity of important developments of political communication, concepts like soft news or infotainment lack conceptual clarity. This article tackles that problem and introduces a multilevel framework model of softening of journalistic political communication, which shows that the 4 most prominent concepts—(a) sensationalism, (b) hard and soft news (HSN), (c) infotainment, and (d) tabloidization, and, additionally, (e) erod…

  • Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy

    Frank M Schneider, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•International Journal of Public…•2014•Cited by: 9•References: 22

    Journal Article Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy Get access Frank M. Schneider, Frank M. Schneider 1Department of Communication Psychology and Media Education, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany and 2Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany Frank M. Schneider is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research interes…

  • The Softening of Journalistic Political Communication: A Comprehensive Framework Model of Sensationalism, Soft News, Infotainment, and Tabloidization

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Theory•2016•Cited by: 42•References: 32

    Despite the scholarly popularity of important developments of political communication, concepts like soft news or infotainment lack conceptual clarity. This article tackles that problem and introduces a multilevel framework model of softening of journalistic political communication, which shows that the 4 most prominent concepts—(a) sensationalism, (b) hard and soft news (HSN), (c) infotainment, and (d) tabloidization, and, additionally, (e) erod…

  • Is Context the Key? The (Non-)Differential Effects of Mediated Incivility in Three European Countries

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sophie Lecheler et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2020•Cited by: 38•References: 57

    There is a worry that serious forms of political conflict, in particular, uncivil behavior of politicians, increases political cynicism and demobilizes the public. Despite the close relation of incivility with social and cultural norms of what is an acceptable form of discussion, studies are mostly restricted to one country. To overcome this blind spot, we conduct a cross-national experiment in three countries (the Netherlands, UK and Spain) test…

  • Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy

    Frank M Schneider, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•International Journal of Public…•2014•Cited by: 9•References: 22

    Journal Article Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy Get access Frank M. Schneider, Frank M. Schneider 1Department of Communication Psychology and Media Education, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany and 2Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany Frank M. Schneider is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research interes…

  • Citizens’ Acceptance of Data-Driven Political Campaigning: A 25-Country Cross-National Vignette Study

    Open Access•R Vliegenthart, Jade Vrielink et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 8•References: 9

    This paper investigates how the acceptance of data-driven political campaigning depends on four different message characteristics. A vignette study was conducted in 25 countries with a total of 14,390 respondents who all evaluated multiple descriptions of political advertisements. Relying on multi-level models, we find that in particular the source and the issue of the message matters. Messages that are sent by a party the respondent likes and de…

  • Do Online Ads Sway Voters? Understanding the Persuasiveness of Online Political Ads

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, R Vliegenthart et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2024•Cited by: 7•References: 61

    This study investigates the effect of online political ads on party preference, and whether this effect is more pronounced for newer political parties and voters who are less politically knowledgeable and literate regarding online privacy. A mixed-method approach, combining Facebook browser tracking data and a four-wave panel survey, was adopted during the 2021 Dutch General Election campaign. The results showed that the number of political ads r…

  • Understanding the democratic role of perceived online political micro-targeting: Longitudinal effects on trust in democracy and political interest

    Open Access•Jörg Matthes, Melanie Hirsch et al.•ARTICLE•Journal of Information Technology…•2022•Cited by: 6•References: 19

    With the increasing availability of big digital voter data, there are rising concerns that online political micro-targeting (PMT) may be harmful for democratic societies. However, PMT may also be beneficial to democracy because it targets voters with content that matches with their predispositions, potentially increasing political interest. For both, harmful and beneficial outcomes of PMT, we lack empirical evidence on the side of citizens. In a …

  • Journalistic Views on Hard and Soft News: Cross-Validating a Popular Concept in a Factorial Survey

    Open Access•Isabella Glogger, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Journalism & Mass Communication…•2019•Cited by: 5•References: 15

    Despite the popularity of the concept of hard and soft news, researchers regularly criticize the vague definitions and inconsistent conceptualizations. Following claims for standardization of concept in journalism research, this article aims to cross-validate the most recent understanding of the concept. We conducted a factorial survey with newspaper journalists to probe the question as to which of the theoretically assumed dimensions of the conc…

  • The smartphone as a tool for mobile communication research: Assessing mobile campaign perceptions and effects with experience sampling

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sanne Kruikemeier•ARTICLE•New Media & Society•2023•Cited by: 4•References: 8

    Mobile communication differs from other forms of mediated communication in terms of connectedness, dynamics, omnipresence, and interactivity. Consequently, it can be difficult for scholars to investigate mobile communication using traditional research methods. The main goal of this article is to show how the mobile experience sampling method (MESM), in combination with data donations, can be useful for addressing the challenges of mobile communic…

  • Measuring Reciprocal Dynamics between Communication Processes and Effects in Distinct Growth Sequences

    Fabian Thomas, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2020•Cited by: 3•References: 14

    Over the last years, analyzing the dynamic reciprocal relationship between communication processes (i.e. mediated and interpersonal communication) and associated attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors has become more salient in communication research. However, methodological studies that focus on such communication dynamics are rare. In this paper, we present a model that tackles two statistical challenges of interrelated communication dynamics: (1) me…

  • Incivility in Comparison: How Context, Content, and Personal Characteristics Predict Exposure to Uncivil Content

    Open Access•Felix Schmidt, Sebastian Stier et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 2•References: 15

    Incivility, that is, the breaking of social norms of conversation, is evidently prevalent in online political communication. While a growing literature provides evidence on the prevalence of incivility in different online venues, it is still unclear where and to what extent Internet users are exposed to incivility. This paper takes a comparative approach to assess the levels of incivility across contexts, content and personal characteristics. The…

  • Is there a visual bias in televised debates? Evidence from Germany, 2002–2017

    Open Access•J Maier, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Visual Communication•2021•Cited by: 2•References: 12

    Media professionals make use of various production techniques in the visual portrayal of politicians on television. A large body of literature indicates that these techniques exert varying influence on, for example, the evaluation of these actors, leading to the question of whether politicians are depicted in an equal way. Focusing on televised debates, this content analysis of five German debates aims to determine if there is a visual bias in th…

  • Beyond simple valence: Discrete emotions as mediators of political communication effects on trust in politicians

    Open Access•Lukas Otto•ARTICLE•Studies in Communication and Media•2018•Cited by: 2•References: 34

    Within this paper, the relationship between citizens’ emotional reactions to politi-cal reporting and their judgment of trust in politicians is investigated. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, this paper seeks to answer the question whether affect predicts trust judgments and which emotion plays what role. Findings of two media effects studies, one in the context of the 2013 German televised debate and in the context of the 2014 EU elec-ti…

  • Linkage Analysis Revised – Linking Digital Traces and Survey Data

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Felicia Löecherbach et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2023•Cited by: 1•References: 34

    Linkage analysis, i.e. linking media exposure, content, and surveys, has been a powerful tool to assess media effects. However, the development of online communication and the advent of social media brings about many challenges for traditional linkage designs. In this paper, we explain the three steps of linkage designs for online communication effects and the usage of computational approaches to capture communication exposure and content. We the…

  • Expanding the Methodological Toolbox: Factorial Surveys in Journalism Research

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger•ARTICLE•Journalism Studies•2020•Cited by: 1•References: 20

    Experimental designs to examine attitudes and behavior are crucial to make causal inferences. However, studies that assess attitudes and behavior of journalists are still dominated by correlational designs, such as used in surveys with journalists. Elaborating on historical and practical reasons for that, we argue in this paper why journalism scholars may benefit from including a certain experimental approach to their toolbox: the factorial surve…

  • Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy

    Frank M Schneider, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•International Journal of Public…•2014•Cited by: 9•References: 22

    Journal Article Measuring Traits and States in Public Opinion Research: A Latent State–Trait Analysis of Political Efficacy Get access Frank M. Schneider, Frank M. Schneider 1Department of Communication Psychology and Media Education, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany and 2Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany Frank M. Schneider is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research interes…

  • Measuring the perceived uncertainty of scientific evidence and its relationship to engagement with science

    Open Access•Joachim Retzbach, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Public Understanding of Science•2016

    Many scholars have argued for the need to communicate openly not only scientific successes to the public but also limitations, such as the tentativeness of research findings, in order to enhance public trust and engagement. Yet, it has not been quantitatively assessed how the perception of scientific uncertainties relates to engagement with science on an individual level. In this article, we report the development and testing of a new questionnai…

  • The Softening of Journalistic Political Communication: A Comprehensive Framework Model of Sensationalism, Soft News, Infotainment, and Tabloidization

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Theory•2016•Cited by: 42•References: 32

    Despite the scholarly popularity of important developments of political communication, concepts like soft news or infotainment lack conceptual clarity. This article tackles that problem and introduces a multilevel framework model of softening of journalistic political communication, which shows that the 4 most prominent concepts—(a) sensationalism, (b) hard and soft news (HSN), (c) infotainment, and (d) tabloidization, and, additionally, (e) erod…

  • Beyond simple valence: Discrete emotions as mediators of political communication effects on trust in politicians

    Open Access•Lukas Otto•ARTICLE•Studies in Communication and Media•2018•Cited by: 2•References: 34

    Within this paper, the relationship between citizens’ emotional reactions to politi-cal reporting and their judgment of trust in politicians is investigated. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, this paper seeks to answer the question whether affect predicts trust judgments and which emotion plays what role. Findings of two media effects studies, one in the context of the 2013 German televised debate and in the context of the 2014 EU elec-ti…

  • Journalistic Views on Hard and Soft News: Cross-Validating a Popular Concept in a Factorial Survey

    Open Access•Isabella Glogger, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Journalism & Mass Communication…•2019•Cited by: 5•References: 15

    Despite the popularity of the concept of hard and soft news, researchers regularly criticize the vague definitions and inconsistent conceptualizations. Following claims for standardization of concept in journalism research, this article aims to cross-validate the most recent understanding of the concept. We conducted a factorial survey with newspaper journalists to probe the question as to which of the theoretically assumed dimensions of the conc…

  • Measuring Reciprocal Dynamics between Communication Processes and Effects in Distinct Growth Sequences

    Fabian Thomas, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2020•Cited by: 3•References: 14

    Over the last years, analyzing the dynamic reciprocal relationship between communication processes (i.e. mediated and interpersonal communication) and associated attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors has become more salient in communication research. However, methodological studies that focus on such communication dynamics are rare. In this paper, we present a model that tackles two statistical challenges of interrelated communication dynamics: (1) me…

  • Expanding the Methodological Toolbox: Factorial Surveys in Journalism Research

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Isabella Glogger•ARTICLE•Journalism Studies•2020•Cited by: 1•References: 20

    Experimental designs to examine attitudes and behavior are crucial to make causal inferences. However, studies that assess attitudes and behavior of journalists are still dominated by correlational designs, such as used in surveys with journalists. Elaborating on historical and practical reasons for that, we argue in this paper why journalism scholars may benefit from including a certain experimental approach to their toolbox: the factorial surve…

  • Is Context the Key? The (Non-)Differential Effects of Mediated Incivility in Three European Countries

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sophie Lecheler et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2020•Cited by: 38•References: 57

    There is a worry that serious forms of political conflict, in particular, uncivil behavior of politicians, increases political cynicism and demobilizes the public. Despite the close relation of incivility with social and cultural norms of what is an acceptable form of discussion, studies are mostly restricted to one country. To overcome this blind spot, we conduct a cross-national experiment in three countries (the Netherlands, UK and Spain) test…

  • How to Capture Reciprocal Communication Dynamics: Comparing Longitudinal Statistical Approaches in Order to Analyze Within- and Between-Person Effects

    Open Access•Fabian Thomas, Adam Shehata et al.•ARTICLE•Journal of Communication•2021

    Choosing an appropriate statistical model to analyze reciprocal relations between individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors over time can be challenging. Often, decisions for or against specific models are rather implicit and it remains unclear whether the statistical approach fits the theory of interest. For longitudinal models, this is problematic since within- and between-person processes can be confounded leading to wrong conclusions. Tak…

  • Is there a visual bias in televised debates? Evidence from Germany, 2002–2017

    Open Access•J Maier, Isabella Glogger et al.•ARTICLE•Visual Communication•2021•Cited by: 2•References: 12

    Media professionals make use of various production techniques in the visual portrayal of politicians on television. A large body of literature indicates that these techniques exert varying influence on, for example, the evaluation of these actors, leading to the question of whether politicians are depicted in an equal way. Focusing on televised debates, this content analysis of five German debates aims to determine if there is a visual bias in th…

  • Linking Media Content and Survey Data in a Dynamic and Digital Media Environment – Mobile Longitudinal Linkage Analysis

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Fabian Thomas et al.•ARTICLE•Digital Journalism•2022

    We introduce a design that is able to face some of the challenges that digital news consumption is posing to traditional media effects methods like linkage analysis. The challenges include (1) memory errors and biases when reporting everyday news media consumption leading to (2) errors when linking mass media outlets to survey data; (3) personalization of media content, as well as (4) short-term dynamic processes. Mobile Intensive Longitudinal Li…

  • Understanding the democratic role of perceived online political micro-targeting: Longitudinal effects on trust in democracy and political interest

    Open Access•Jörg Matthes, Melanie Hirsch et al.•ARTICLE•Journal of Information Technology…•2022•Cited by: 6•References: 19

    With the increasing availability of big digital voter data, there are rising concerns that online political micro-targeting (PMT) may be harmful for democratic societies. However, PMT may also be beneficial to democracy because it targets voters with content that matches with their predispositions, potentially increasing political interest. For both, harmful and beneficial outcomes of PMT, we lack empirical evidence on the side of citizens. In a …

  • Linkage Analysis Revised – Linking Digital Traces and Survey Data

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Felicia Löecherbach et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Methods and Measures•2023•Cited by: 1•References: 34

    Linkage analysis, i.e. linking media exposure, content, and surveys, has been a powerful tool to assess media effects. However, the development of online communication and the advent of social media brings about many challenges for traditional linkage designs. In this paper, we explain the three steps of linkage designs for online communication effects and the usage of computational approaches to capture communication exposure and content. We the…

  • The smartphone as a tool for mobile communication research: Assessing mobile campaign perceptions and effects with experience sampling

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Sanne Kruikemeier•ARTICLE•New Media & Society•2023•Cited by: 4•References: 8

    Mobile communication differs from other forms of mediated communication in terms of connectedness, dynamics, omnipresence, and interactivity. Consequently, it can be difficult for scholars to investigate mobile communication using traditional research methods. The main goal of this article is to show how the mobile experience sampling method (MESM), in combination with data donations, can be useful for addressing the challenges of mobile communic…

  • A Systematic Review of the Effects of AI-Assisted Moderation on Individuals and Groups

    Open Access•Zehui Yu, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Human-Machine Communication•2024

    This review paper provides a conceptualization of AI-assisted content moderation with various degrees of autonomy and summarizes experimental evidence for how different levels of automation in content moderation and related losses of autonomy affect individuals and groups. Our results show that current research predominantly focuses on individual level effects, necessitating a shift toward understanding the impact on groups. The study highlights …

  • On or off topic? Understanding the effects of issue-related political targeted ads

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, Lukas Otto et al.•ARTICLE•Information Communication & Society•2024

    Whilst data-driven strategies are allegedly prevalent in political campaigns, evidence regarding their actual effectiveness is scarce. This study investigates, from an individual perspective, the effect of issue congruency in political ads on immediate responses and voting behaviors. To reach our goal, we combined different types of data collection: mobile experience sampling method (mESM), panel survey, and content analysis. The combined approac…

  • Incivility in Comparison: How Context, Content, and Personal Characteristics Predict Exposure to Uncivil Content

    Open Access•Felix Schmidt, Sebastian Stier et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 2•References: 15

    Incivility, that is, the breaking of social norms of conversation, is evidently prevalent in online political communication. While a growing literature provides evidence on the prevalence of incivility in different online venues, it is still unclear where and to what extent Internet users are exposed to incivility. This paper takes a comparative approach to assess the levels of incivility across contexts, content and personal characteristics. The…

  • Citizens’ Acceptance of Data-Driven Political Campaigning: A 25-Country Cross-National Vignette Study

    Open Access•R Vliegenthart, Jade Vrielink et al.•ARTICLE•Social Science Computer Review•2024•Cited by: 8•References: 9

    This paper investigates how the acceptance of data-driven political campaigning depends on four different message characteristics. A vignette study was conducted in 25 countries with a total of 14,390 respondents who all evaluated multiple descriptions of political advertisements. Relying on multi-level models, we find that in particular the source and the issue of the message matters. Messages that are sent by a party the respondent likes and de…

  • Do Online Ads Sway Voters? Understanding the Persuasiveness of Online Political Ads

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, R Vliegenthart et al.•ARTICLE•Political Communication•2024•Cited by: 7•References: 61

    This study investigates the effect of online political ads on party preference, and whether this effect is more pronounced for newer political parties and voters who are less politically knowledgeable and literate regarding online privacy. A mixed-method approach, combining Facebook browser tracking data and a four-wave panel survey, was adopted during the 2021 Dutch General Election campaign. The results showed that the number of political ads r…

  • Two Forms of Media Distrust: Cynicism, Skepticism, and Online News Exposure

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Frank Mangold et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Research•2026

    The relationship between trust in the news media and news use has been studied extensively, yet findings remain inconsistent. We argue that a key source of this inconsistency is the conflation of two distinct forms of media distrust: skepticism and cynicism. Additionally, prior research largely relies on self-reported news use, which is prone to bias. To address both issues, we link survey data with web-tracking data from 739 participants during …

  • Angry and Alerted, Happy and Informed? An Experience Sampling Study on the Relationship Between Sentiment, Affect, and Attention Toward Campaign Communication

    Open Access•Lukas Otto, Fabian Thomas et al.•ARTICLE•Communication Research•2026

    This study examines how emotional reactions to campaign communication relate to attentional processes and, ultimately, to general interest in a political campaign. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion and the broaden-and-build theory, we argue that emotional responses to political communication play a central role in shaping different forms of attention and elaboration. Specifically, emotions may foster a narrow attentional focus directed at …

  • Effects of data-driven campaigning: An integrative framework, literature review, and research agenda

    Open Access•Xiaotong Chu, Selina Noetzel et al.•ARTICLE•Annals of the International…•2026•References: 36

    The positive and negative consequences of data-driven campaigning (DDC) in the digital era have been hotly debated among policymakers and scholars. This article applies a top–down approach by first introducing a framework to conceptualize the potential individual-level effects of DDC. Based on the framework, we then conducted a literature review to evaluate existing findings. A research agenda is proposed to call for more attention to: (a) DDC wi…

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