From Trivial to Meaningful: The Moderating Role of Perceived Satisfaction in the Relationship Between Incidental Exposure and Political Participation

Scholars have studied the relationship between incidental exposure (i.e., encountering political information unintentionally) and political participation. Nevertheless, the dynamic processes relating incidental exposure to political participation remain unclear. Building upon the political incidental news exposure (PINE) and social media political participation (SMPP) models, this study (N = 702) examines first- and second-level incidental exposure and its relationship to low-effort online and high-effort political participation. Furthermore, it examines whether perceived satisfaction from low-effort online participation moderates the relationship between incidental exposure and high-effort participation. Results suggest that second-level incidental exposure relates to greater low-effort online participation, which, in turn, opens a pathway to high-effort participation, especially when individuals perceive such participation as satisfying and able to address social and political issues. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of the pathways from incidental exposure to political participation, contributing to the broader literature on political communication and behavior in the digital age.