Selecting our own science: The role of communication contexts and individual traits in media selectivity

This dissertation focuses on an integral aspect of public opinion formation — individual selectivity of information. Principally, I seek answers about why individuals opt for certain media. Broadly, my research is guided by the following question: How do communication contexts and individual traits contribute to and motivate individuals’ selectivity? Though there have been many studies on the phenomenon of selective exposure in political science and political communication, my research is conducted in the context of a scientific issue. There is relatively little clear empirical data suggesting that people select news about science and technology based on political preferences. In my research, I use experimental and survey methodologies in combination with structural equation modeling, and linear and logistic regression models to draw conclusions about how and why individuals seek information about science

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