The Impact of Social Media and Cyberspace on Citizens’ Electoral Behavior with an Emphasis on Political Participation in the 13th Presidential Election (in the Electoral Districts of Qasr-e Shirin, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Gilan-e Gharb)
Keywords:
social media, political participation, electoral behavior, 13th presidential electionAbstract
The primary objective of this study is to examine the extent to which social media influences the electoral behavior of citizens, with a specific focus on political participation in the 13th presidential election within the electoral districts of Qasr-e Shirin, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Gilan-e Gharb in Kermanshah Province. The research method employed was a survey approach using a researcher-developed questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of citizens over the age of 18 from the Qasr-e Shirin electoral district who participated in the 2021 presidential election. A multi-stage cluster sampling method was utilized, and the sample size was determined to be 378 individuals based on Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed in both descriptive and inferential sections using SPSS software. The research findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between background variables such as education, social class, and political orientation and electoral behavior. Additionally, a significant relationship was observed between the main independent variables of the study (political participation and social media) and electoral behavior. Path analysis findings, which assess direct and mediating effects, also reveal that political participation had the strongest effect—0.82—on electoral behavior. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination was 0.72, indicating that 72% of the variance in the dependent variable (electoral behavior) is explained by the independent variables (social media and political participation).
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