نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Objective: Mass media, particularly social networks and virtual space, are among the important tools for attracting public political participation in events such as elections and have played a role in shaping political discourse and electoral behavior worldwide. This research aims to investigate the extent of familiarity with and the strategic influence of social networks and virtual space on the electoral behavior of Tehrani citizens in the 2021 Iranian presidential election.
Methods: This study employed a survey research method using a researcher-made questionnaire to examine the views of 390 eligible voters in Tehran. Additionally, correlation analysis and multivariate regression were used to test the research hypotheses.
Results: The findings indicated that, according to the respondents, the component of passive electoral behavior (within the dimension of social participation) with a mean of 2.44 out of 5 (48.8%) ranked first among the research components, confirming the first hypothesis. The component of stereotypical electoral behavior (within the dimension of social participation) with a mean of 1.69 out of 5 (33.8%) ranked third, confirming the second hypothesis. This same component (stereotypical electoral behavior) was also reported with a mean of 1.84 out of 5 (36.8%) in third place, confirming the third hypothesis. The Pearson statistic for the influence of gender on electoral behavior in the 2021 election was 0.044, with a regression value of 0.045, confirming the fourth hypothesis. According to the respondents, the structural component of virtual social networks (within the dimension of social networks) ranked first with a mean of 2.89 out of 5 (57.8%), confirming the fifth hypothesis. The interactive component of virtual social networks (within the dimension of social networks) ranked second with a mean of 2.65 out of 5 (53.0%), confirming the sixth hypothesis. Furthermore, the interactive factor of virtual social networks (within the dimension of social networks) ranked third with a mean of 2.29 out of 5 (51.8%), confirming the seventh hypothesis. Therefore, it can be stated that social networks and virtual space have significantly influenced the dynamics of people's electoral behavior through different passive, stereotypical, and active approaches and have been able to increase the growth of public participation in elections.
Conclusion: Social networks and virtual space have had a significant impact on the dynamics of public electoral behavior through different passive, stereotypical, and active approaches and have been able to enhance the development of electoral participation. The various interactive, structural, functional dimensions, as well as the characteristics of the active population present in social networks and virtual space, have significantly influenced political participation and electoral behavior.
کلیدواژهها English
