The role of cognitive elaboration in social media political information consumption and persuasion

Abstract Social media can be an information dissemination tool to influence the mindset of the recipient based on the message being sent. Political persuasion is a psychological process that results from taking in messages from the media. Through online discussions, there is a cognitive elaboration where there is a deeper debate in an individual about the information received. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of cognitive elaboration in mediating online political discussions against political persuasion. Prior studies have not seen participation in cognitive development as a mental process that plays a role in the persuasion process. The study used a survey method in and around Jakarta, data collection was conducted using questionnaires distributed via social media. Based on the criteria for respondents between the ages of 17 and 64, 495 respondents were obtained. The findings demonstrate that political debates are significantly influenced by social media political information and online news consumption and that cognitive elaboration mediates political discussion of political persuasion.


Introduction
Internet-based media are becoming an important source of political information for the world community. Access to information can take the form of social media, sites, blogs, or other media. Past studies have confirmed that social media can be a source of political information and enrich their understanding of politics (H. Kim et al., 2020). Along with social media, political information is also obtained through other online media such as websites and blogs (Alami et al., 2019;Park, 2017).
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Indonesia's political situation is heating up, both in terms of on-the-ground activity and the dissemination of information via online media. Political polarization in Indonesia persists as a result of the public's divided voting preferences in the general election of 2019. Political parties, presidential candidates, and their supporters put in a lot of effort to win the election, including trying to persuade the populace with persuasive information.
Social media interaction and discussions among users regarding political information can enhance their understanding (Intyaswati et al., 2020), and engaging in political talk through social media can facilitate the development of online engagement (Intyaswati & Fairuzza, 2023). Engaging in political discourse on social media provides the opportunity to gain insights into the diverse perspectives expressed by other users, including the rejection of our own views. Online discussions promote cognitive elaboration, leading to more in-depth deliberation and evidencebased reasoning (Wang & Chen, 2008).
During political campaigns, the message source aims to communicate information in a way that allows the recipient to comprehend the message and develop an attitude consistent with the intended message. Political persuasion refers to a psychological mechanism in which messages conveyed through the media are internalized. Prior to undergoing an attitude change, an individual will engage in the elaboration of the received messages in accordance with their existing beliefs and experiences (Kim et al., 2018).
Previous studies have found the role of internet-based media in political persuasion. There is a significant relationship between the use of social media for news consumption and the reconsideration or modification of one's political opinions in response to the received information (Kim et al., 2018). People who generate and disseminate political content on social media employ a range of strategies to convince others to alter their political perspectives (Weeks et al., 2017). The role of cognitive elaboration as a mediator in the process of political persuasion, particularly in developing nations, is not been extensively studied. This research aims to address the research gap in media impact studies by examining the role of cognitive elaboration, specifically in the context of developing countries and under conditions of political polarization. Previous studies have shown that people who frequently talk about politics are more likely to elaborate cognitively on the information that is shared during the discussion (Gil de Zúñiga, 2017). Jennings (2018) conducted an experimental study with adolescents in which participants were asked to engage in cognitive elaboration by articulating their political attitudes. The results indicated that the degree of cognitive elaboration in which a person engages influences the persuasive impact of political messages. The novelty of this study lies in its research model, which modifies (Gil de Zúñiga, 2017; S. Lee, 2017) previous research by introducing cognitive elaboration as a mediating variable.
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of cognitive elaboration in mediating online political discussions against political persuasion. The objective of this study is to investigate whether cognitive elaboration serves as a positive mediating between political discussion and political persuasion among internet-based media users.

Internet-based media, political discussion, and political persuasion
Previous studies have employed theoretical frameworks like cultivation theory and agendasetting to examine the direct impact of media on an individual's cognitive processes (McQuail, 2010). The media's message is significant in guiding an individual's orientation toward various issues and contexts (McCombs, 2005). Exposure to diverse viewpoints assists individuals in comprehending the rationale and motivation behind differing perspectives, leading to a better political understanding (Cappella et al., 2002;Mutz Diana, 2002). Discussion from diverse points of view exposure is closely related to the liveliness of citizens by allowing individuals to express their point of view and become accustomed to facing differences in opinion (Leighley Jan, 1990;McLeod et al., 1999).
Recent data indicate a significant increase in the use of social media for accessing news (Shearer & Mitchell, 2021), and exposure to online media has the potential to influence individuals to change their political beliefs (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017;Dimitrova et al., 2014;Halpern et al., 2017;Y. Kim et al., 2013). As of early 2023, the number of internet users in Indonesia has reached 212.9 million, with the primary reason for their internet usage being to search for information (Haryanto, 2023). Internet-based media has become a critical source of information, and in this study, it is divided into two categories: social media and other news outlets.
Social media allows its users to potentially engage in discussions with other users regarding political content (Ardèvol-Abreu et al., 2019;Halpern & Gibbs, 2013). The news became the main material for political discussion. When individuals find political information interesting, they tend to form opinions in agreement or disagreement with the arguments presented, which can then trigger a desire to express their political views and engage in discussions (Ardèvol-Abreu et al., 2019;Halpern & Gibbs, 2013).
Moreover, during discussions, users continue to seek new information, verify, reconsider, and elaborate on the information they have received from other users (Lane et al., 2019;Velasquez & Rojas, 2017). Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to disagreements during discussions can prompt individuals to reevaluate their opinions and perspectives (Mutz & Martin, 2001). So that political discussions may be able to mediate the user's news consumption with their possibility to be persuaded.
Theorists have conceptualized political persuasion as the process of modifying attitudes that pertain to political issues (Bohner et al., 2008;Diehl et al., 2016). In recent times, the definition of political persuasion, especially in the context of political communication, has been refined to suggest that it involves a reassessment of one's political attitudes through exposure to new information (Gil de Zúñiga et al., 2018). This definition is most appropriate for our analysis model because it acknowledges the influence of news stimuli in the cognitive process of attitude change (O. Feldman, 2016); political persuasion is significant in comprehending how political attitudes can change as a result of being exposed to various information in the online and social media environment. Previous studies conducted in Western countries have investigated how news consumption can facilitate the political persuasion process, while political discussions can reinforce the change of attitudes (Gerber et al., 2008;L. Feldman et al., 2012).
The study advocates for Johansson (2016) a more thorough and extensive investigation into the function of social media in political persuasion. The author argued that social media, with its influencers, can have an impact on the audience by targeting the peripheral route of information processing, which does not require deep cognitive processing. The potential is vast because, through social media or other internet-based media platforms, anyone can join in to express their opinions and engage in discussions with other users.
The hypotheses proposed for this study are as follows: H1: Online media news consumption directly facilitates political persuasion H2: Use of social media related to political information directly facilitates political persuasion H3: The effect of online media news consumption on political persuasion is mediated by online political discussion H4: Online discussions about politics play a mediating role in the relationship between social media use for political information and political persuasion. Perse (1990) integrates cognitive theory and uses gratification concepts to suggest that cognitive elaboration plays a crucial role in understanding mental involvement and how media messages are processed. Exposure to diverse news can encourage users to change their attitudes (Chang et al., 2018;Diehl et al., 2016) whether by acquiring new information or by cognitively processing the information they receive through news exposure and political discussions.

Cognitive elaboration as a mediator of online discussions and political persuasion
Engaging in online discussions that involve diverse opinions, both agreeable and disagreeable, can enhance one's ability to comprehend different perspectives and stimulate cognitive elaboration by contemplating the array of ideas presented (S. Lee, 2017). This statement suggests that millennials on Facebook were engaged in cognitive elaboration during the 2019 Indonesian presidential election. They were exposed to persuasive arguments supporting different candidates, which resulted in debates and discussions between users with different opinions. Some users may choose to remain neutral in the discussion, while others resort to using profanity, insults, or personal attacks during peripheral arguments (Indrawati & Indrawati, 2020).
There are politically self-conscious stages to choosing relevant political knowledge that someone has in social media activities (Vaccari, 2017). In this study, the process is a cognitive elaboration carried out by someone based on information received from political discussions. Strong tie connections through heterogeneous networks and reasoned conversations lead to a higher level of one's cognitive elaboration (Gil de Zúñiga, 2017). Valli and Nai (2023) evaluated the relationship between resistant cognitive elaboration and persuasion, in which this process can play an essential role in determining the success of political messages.
The next hypothesis is to look at the role of cognitive elaboration mediation in the persuasion process; H5: Cognitive elaboration mediates the relationship between political discussion and political persuasion.

Participants
The research methodology used in this study is survey-based. Data was collected in December 2022 through a questionnaire that was distributed on social media. The population for this study consists of residents living in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, and the sampling technique used is purposive sampling. The questionnaire specified that the respondents needed to meet certain criteria, including being residents of Jakarta and its surrounding areas, between the ages of 17-64, social media users, and willing to provide consent before answering the questions in the questionnaire. The survey was completed by 495 respondents, with 213 men (43%) and 282 women (57%). Ages ranged from 17 to 55 years with an average of 21.25 years and a standard deviation of 4.13. Age distribution in years as follows; 15-17 = 2.2%, 18-20 = 58.6%, 21-23 = 24.6%, 24-26 = 9.3%, 27-29 = 2%, 30-32 = 0.8%, and 32-55 = 2.4%. The number of samples fulfilled the Fisher formula with a 95% confidence level and a ± 5% margin of error. There were 148 (29.9%) respondents with high school, 29 (5.9%) diplomas, 309 (62.4%) undergraduates, and 9 (1.8%) with graduate schools.

Measures
The study used measurement items from previous studies (Gil de Zúñiga et al., 2012Kim et al., 2018). There are five variables in the study, including social media usage, online news consumption, online political discussion, cognitive elaboration, and political persuasion. The five variables complied with the measurement reliability standard (α) as set out in each of the following variables.
Online News Consumption. Measurement of online news consumption was carried out by measuring the frequency of news access through (1) mainstream news sites, (2) information from other users (citizen journalism), and (3) local media sites (non-mainstream) (M = 2.98, SD = .83, α = .70).
Online Political Discussion. This variable refers to online conversations with other people related to politics, measured through the frequency of respondents discussing with (1) partners, (2) colleagues, (3) family, (4) new people, (5) people who have different views, (6) people who disagree with my opinion, and (7) people who have different opinions. For each question, the answer was measured from "never" (1) to "always" (5) (M = 2.71, SD = .79, and α = .86).
Cognitive Elaboration. Measurement of cognitive elaboration refers to the frequency with which users connect political information received with previously acquired knowledge, the results of these connections (1)  A measurement model comprised of five constructs was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to determine the validity of the study instrument. Assisted analysis of the AMOS 24 program. The CFA test results show that the chi-square (chi-square/df) value = 2.060 meets the specified standard (less than 3). Root means square error of approximation (RMSEA) has a value = .046 and meets the agreed criteria (less than .08), while the goodness of fit index (GFI) has a value = .932, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) has a value = .943, comparative fit index (CFI) with a result = .956, and adjusted goodness of fit (AGFI) shows a value = .905. Each of the GFI, TLI, CFI, and AGFI meets standard criteria of more than .90. The four test criteria of the measurement model meet the standards set (Zainudin, 2012). According to the CFA test, all five constructs meet the criteria for validity, and all indicators from each construct are accepted, with the exception of two social media use indicators, TikTok and Facebook use, which are both rejected. While the reliability of each construct meets the specified Cronbach alpha standard (α > .70), the Cronbach alpha value is obtained using the SPSS 25 software.

Results
The use of social media as a source of political information can be seen in Figure 1. TikTok and Facebook were ruled to be ineligible as sources of political information among the six most popular social media networks. Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp are the four social media channels most frequently mentioned by respondents as places they frequently get their political information. In the meantime, from the group of users who still pretend to access the most political information of Twitter users. It is WhatsApp users who are most likely not to have access to political information.
Online news consumption is further presented in Figure 2. Access to online news other than social media is most frequent by sometimes reporting, both through mainstream news sites, citizen journalism, and local websites. Compared to two other online news outlets, respondents who stated that they always accessed online news from mainstream news sites had the highest frequency, while those who said they never accessed online news from mainstream news sites had the lowest frequency.    Figure 4 shows a structural model that has met the specified standard criteria, as evidenced by the RMSEA value which is smaller than the recommended value of .062, GFI = .918, CFI = .922, TLI = .902, AGFI = .901, and χ2/df = 2.905. Figure 4 shows the Model of Political Persuasion Through Social Media with a standardized regression weight value, the results of the analysis show that online news consumption (.537) has a greater contribution to online political discussion activities than the use of social media (.245). These findings indicate that political information and knowledge owned as material for discussion is more obtained through online news consumption. The direct impact of politics-related social media use on persuasion is −.099 and the direct impact of online political debates on persuasion is .341. The negative relationship between the use of social media and persuasion shows that the amount of political information consumed from social media does not guarantee the persuasion process as expected in the message conveyed. Furthermore, the effect of online discussion on cognitive elaboration was .726, and the effect of cognitive elaboration on persuasion was .440. The direct influence of political discussion on cognitive elaboration has the most outstanding value compared to others; this shows the critical role of  discussion on one's mental processes in considering the information received for the following persuasion process. Table 1 shows the results that online news consumption outside of social media does not directly influence persuasion with a value of β = .031 (p > .05), the result is the basis for the rejection of H1. The findings that the use of political information on social media directly impacts persuasion with a value of β = −.146 (p < .05) is the basis for receiving H2. These results indicate that social media messages directly impact persuasion rather than online news. The bootstrap method is used to evaluate the mediating role of online discussion variables and cognitive elaboration. Table 2 shows the indirect effects of each mediation variable, the online discussions that serve as mediators for the use of political information in social media, and persuasion (.123), this finding became the basis for receiving H4. Online discussions also mediate the consumption of online news with persuasion (.195), and the H3 is accepted. Furthermore, the results showed that cognitive elaboration was the mediation of online discussion and persuasion, both about the use of social media (.115) as well as the consumption of online media news (.183), this result makes H5 acceptable. Acceptance of the mediating role is supported by the value of each confidence interval which contains no zero value. Table 3 shows the contribution indicators of each variable. The value of accessing political information through different social media platforms was compared. Instagram was found to have the greatest value, followed by YouTube and Twitter. WhatsApp had the least value for accessing political information. Access to more information is used to find out local news (.899) related to Jakarta and its surroundings, compared to national news (.765). Respondents who live in Jakarta indicate that they tend to access political information related to their environment; this condition is supported by the presence of Jakarta, the nation's capital, so it has more coverage of political events. Consumption of online news through citizen journalism has the greatest contribution (.793) rather than through local sites (.633) and mainstream sites (.562).
Social media-based political conversations that enhance cognitive elaboration the most are those that take place with individuals who hold differing perspectives (.707), followed by a discussion with a person who has a different opinion (.704) and with people who disagree with the speaker's opinion (.696). Findings showing the significant contribution of cross-cutting talk to cognitive elaboration are in line with J. Lee and Choi (2017). The level of elaboration in which individuals process political information is heavily influenced by their pre-existing knowledge and thoughts on the subject matter (.720), relating to the knowledge possessed (.679), and relating to personal experience (.668). The knowledge that is already owned and thoughts on the subject becomes the primary basis of the elaboration process.
Social media has the power to persuade individuals politically, as viral posts containing information can alter the attitudes of many respondents (.758), information, and interactions with other users (.737), and based on what is seen through social media (.729). Devising a strategy for social media posts to go viral is essential, as it contributes to the success of the persuasion objective. In Indonesia, cases that go viral on social media will receive more attention from the government and related institutions.

Discussion and conclusion
The existence of internet media, including social media, has changed the way people consume political information and take part in news and political discussions. Indonesia's political condition ahead of the 2024 General Election raises competition between political parties in gaining sympathy through internet-based media which has many advantages over traditional media. This study becomes significant in examining the role of internet-based media on political persuasion.
These findings are in line with previous studies that show the direct influence of political information access through social media on political persuasion (Diehl et al., 2016). In addition, the indirect influence of social media political information through discussion on political persuasion also strengthens the study of Gil de Zúñiga et al. (2022). The results from Intyaswati et al. (2021) indicate that the relationship between social media usage and other forms of digital media as a means of acquiring political information is significant for students, as it can impact their political engagement and decision-making processes.
The Indonesian government, led by Moeldoko as the Presidential Chief of Staff, employs social media to disseminate information regarding government initiatives, which serves as a form of political persuasion in Indonesia. Through Twitter, Moeldoko communicates updates on the  government's actions and endeavors, utilizing regular tweets as a means of convincing the public that the government is performing effectively (Juswil et al., 2022). Conversely, influencers who are popular among their audience hold the ability to impact and even change certain behaviors. In the realm of digital democracy, influencers possess the capability to reach a vast audience and can serve as a catalyst for the emergence of alternative viewpoints. Nonetheless, if not carefully approached, engaging with influencers may have negative consequences on digital democracy, particularly in Indonesia (Johansson, 2016).
The impact of online news consumption outside of social media on political persuasion is not substantial on its own, but rather it is mediated by political discussions on social media. The findings suggest that the interaction between users on social media plays a crucial role in shaping the impact of the information received through such platforms. To reinforce the impact of information exposure, it is crucial to encourage discussions among social media users. Political discussions on social media serve as a mediator between the acquisition of information from social media and other online sources and political persuasion.
This result underscores the significance of social media accounts that facilitate political discussions for users of such platforms. Account owners can leverage existing social networks to engage in political persuasion. Political parties utilize multiple social media accounts, such as @golkar_id, @pk_seahteraa, @partaigeloraid, among others. Alfiyani (2018) found out the use of social media by the prospective regional legislator to enhance their chances of obtaining their positions, utilizing political communication to persuade their constituencies to accept their messages.
The results indicate that political discussions on social media possess a direct impact on political persuasion, as well as an indirect influence that is mediated by cognitive elaboration. Engaging in discussions with individuals who hold differing perspectives or opinions holds the most significant potential for contributing to influence. The results align with previous research by S. Lee (2017) which demonstrates that cross-cutting discussions on social media have an impact on cognitive elaboration.
Political discussions can prove to be mentally demanding, particularly when individuals encounter divergent viewpoints. This can result in cognitive dissonance, which can be uncomfortable and lead individuals to become more entrenched in their beliefs. This can lead to decreased cognitive elaboration. This reasoning could potentially explain the findings that demonstrate the adverse impact of political information dissemination through social media on political persuasion. When individuals communicate their opinions in a critical manner and include valuable information, other users tend to view such messages as requiring careful consideration and analysis in response (Inuzuka et al., 2023). Research by Qudsi and Syamtar (2020) indicates that during the 2019 Presidential Election, young users of Instagram refrained from engaging in political discourse on social media to prevent polarization. These individuals did not demonstrate any particular preference for political candidates and avoided expressing political sentiments to avoid social pressure.
The hypothesis that cognitive elaboration acts as a mediator between political discussions among social media users and their political persuasion is supported by the findings. This finding has answered the research question. Participating in political discussions can promote cognitive elaboration, as individuals are required to articulate their opinions and consider alternative viewpoints. This process can assist individuals in developing a more comprehensive understanding of political issues. Viral political information is a primary concern in persuasion, as it can capture the attention of numerous social media users and influence public opinion. However, the accuracy and accountability of this information may not be fully established. Furthermore, the exposure of the viral political information led to discussions with diverse opinions. In addition, cognitive elaboration contributes to a deeper reflection on the information received and heard during discussions. Ultimately, the extent to which individuals are persuaded will vary based on the relevance of their preexisting beliefs, the knowledge they possess, and how it relates to their personal experiences.
Overall political information on social media and the consumption of online news has significantly influenced political discussions. Furthermore, cognitive elaboration mediates political discussions against political persuasion. Political persuasion is significantly impacted by social media, which also offers new routes for message delivery, political campaigns, group interests, and people's capacity to reach a broad audience. The internet and social media have provided new opportunities for political persuasion. By incorporating cognitive elaboration on a more complete model, this study advances our knowledge of the mechanisms relating to the political persuasion that people encounter through social media.
The message sender who wishes to persuade the message recipient should be concerned about the fact that cognitive elaboration plays a part in the persuasion process. It is crucial to include political material that aligns with the viewpoints, prior knowledge, and life experiences of the target audience of social media users. In addition, bringing up political discussion topics that challenge users' thinking can also support the persuasion process and create messages that can go viral.
The disadvantages of this study are first, the use of samples only in one major Indonesian city, future research is needed to see if the findings apply in other cities. Secondly, because they are dependent on self-reports, the variables of political persuasion and cognitive elaboration include flaws, such as a person's ability to recall details accurately. Thirdly, it is unknown what kind of news story or conversation topic leads to persuasion, as well as if the persuasion that takes place results in a shift in the opinions or attitudes of previous subjects, or if it merely serves to reaffirm the beliefs already held.
This study suggests that internet-based media provide avenues for persuasion and political mobilization in a way that is more closely connected with individuals' psychology and implications for political engagement. Future studies should accommodate discussion network attributes and types of ties (strong or weak).