Vicarious Learning of Social Media Political Expression: The Role of Expected Outcomes and Appropriate Communication Competence

Based on Social Learning and Social Cognitive Theories, this study proposes a mechanism that explains the relationship between users’ observation of others successful use of social media for political expression and one’s own social media political expression. Survey results support a parallel mediation model where social media political expression observational learning simultaneously leads to social media political expression positive expected outcomes, and to appropriate social media communication competence. Positive expected outcomes increase social media political expression whereas appropriate social media communication competence decreases individual’s social media political expression. Theoretical implications for social media political expression are discussed.