This study examined the influence of mobile application use and interpersonal discussions on political participation. It tested hypotheses based on the Differential Gains Model and Communication Mediation Model. The results showed that online political participation is positively related to the interaction between mobile application use and online discussions. It also found that online and face-to-face discussions mediate the relationship between mobile application use and both online and offline political participation. The study concludes that mobile applications have the potential to complement face-to-face discussions and mobilize individuals for online political activities.

1. Tap, scroll down, chat and more?
Examining the influence of mobile
applications and interpersonal discussions
towards political participation
Joseph Jai-sung Yoo, Pei Zheng,
Hyeri Jung, Victoria Y. Chen, Shuning Lu
& Thomas J. Johnson

2. Introduction
Mobile is ubiquitous.
Using mobile device
-> civic engagement
But how?
Interaction & Mediation

3. The goal of this study
The influence of mobile application use on
political participation, from the perspective
of the Differential Gains Model and the
Communication Mediation Model.

4. Mobile Communication & Politics
• Political use of mobile phone technology
• The low cost, easiness and portability
• The pattern of mobile application use for political news and
information and its impact on political participation

5. Interpersonal Communication
• Soul of democracy
• Online and offline
• Mobile devices: sources for the public to
consume political information and engage in
interpersonal communication

6. Differential Gains Model
(Scheufele, 2002)
The political effects of news media messages are contingent
upon media’s interaction with interpersonal communication.
Communication Mediation Model
(Shah, Cho, Eveland, Kwak, 2005)
Mass Communication has an influence on political
engagement but such relationship is indirect:
Interpersonal communication mediates the effects of news
media toward political participation.

7. Hypotheses
H1: The interaction between mobile application use
and online communication is positively related to
H1a) online and H1b) offline participation.
H2: The interaction between mobile application use
and face-to-face communication is positively related
to H2a) online and H2b) offline participation.

8. Hypotheses
H3: Online communication mediates the
relationship between mobile application use and
a) online and b) offline political participation.
H4: Face-to-face communication mediates the
relationship between mobile application use and
a) online and b) offline political participation.

9. Methodology
• From one week before to one week after
the 2012 presidential election
• N=1267
• Hierarchical linear regression (Differential Gains)
& Path analysis (Communication Mediation)

10. Independent variables
• Age, Gender, Race, Education, Income
• Party ties, ideology and political interests
• Reliance on mobile applications
• Online & face-to-face discussion
• Interaction (App x discussion): Differential Gain

11. Figure (Communication Mediation)

12. Dependent variables

13. Results (Differential Gain)
• Online & offline political participations are predicted by reliance
on news applications X online discussion (H1 supported).
• Online discussion: direct effects toward both forms of participation
• Face-to-Face discussion: direct effects toward offline participation
but no interaction effects with mobile apps
(H2 rejected).
• Mobile application: direct effect toward both forms of
political participations

14. Results (Communication Mediation)
• The path from reliance on mobile applications
toward online participation is mediated by
online discussion.
• The path from reliance on mobile applications
toward offline participation is mediated by
online & face-to-face discussions.
• H3 fully supported, H4 partly supported

17. Discussion
• Mobile application and online discussion
-> Both mediation and moderation effects
• Portability, connectivity and personalization of mobile
• Smartphone for online political discussion
-> larger network size through weak ties
• Mobilizing individuals in online activities

18. Conclusion
• Mobile could complement face-to-face talk.
• Need for clearer causal relationships & panel study
• News media companies: development of mobile news
applications to elicit more engagement