Selective Exposure and Its Relationship to Certain Variables among State Employees

Abstract

Selective exposure is a cognitive process whereby individuals who already hold prior ideas about a certain subject or issue tend to seek information consistent with their current beliefs. In other words, people often accept messages that align with their pre-existing opinions more readily than those that contradict them. Selective exposure to information is a primary human motive driven by the desire for consistency between one’s beliefs and the information received. This mechanism influences how individuals process information and generates a form of avoidance of contradictory input, which may be either active or passive. Individuals may avoid information in order to make decisions, maintain optimism, preserve belief stability, safeguard self-efficacy, adapt to circumstances, and avoid feelings of fear, threat, or anxiety. Since human life involves a continuous chain of decision-making, such avoidance can weaken individuals’ decision-making processes. Avoidance occurs when people anticipate that acquiring certain information might negatively affect their emotions, challenge their beliefs and perceptions, or threaten their behavior, optimism, and self-image. The present study aimed to measure the level of selective exposure among a sample of state employees and to identify differences according to gender (male–female), educational attainment (Ph.D.–M.A.–Institute–B.A.–Secondary), and age (20–59 years). The research sample consisted of 400 male and female employees, selected using a stratified random sampling method with equal distribution. After data collection and statistical analysis, the findings were as follows: 1. A high level of selective exposure was observed among state employees, with a mean score of 10.23, indicating a tendency to avoid information inconsistent with their choices. 2. There were no statistically significant differences in selective exposure by gender. 3. Significant differences were found according to educational attainment and age.