Konsistenztheorien & Selective Exposure

Do people prefer information that is consistent with their own attitude and avoid contradicting information? Which individual and societal effects arise of selective exposure to confirming information? These questions are examined in research on theories of consistency and selective exposure. The book outlines the central theoretical assumptions, exemplifies typical research designs and commonly applied methods and reviews the state of research from the early social-psychological research until current debates about the emergence of echo chambers and filter bubbles in social media. Conclusively, alternative explanatory approaches for the systematic preference of information are presented. The book is suitable as textbook for students and lecturers of communication studies as well as an introductory reading for communication practitioners and other interested parties.