FICTION VS REALITY A survey experiment comparing the effect of representation in different spheres on political efficacy.

Abstract

The social debate mentions how people in socioeconomic weaker areas are less politically engaged and have less political efficacy. Previous research mentions lack of representation as a possible explanation. Using the parasocial interactions theory, this thesis tested if representation in politics and in fictional political TV-series would affect individual’s level of political efficacy. I hypothesized that both representation in the actual political world and in fictional political TV-series would have positive effects on political efficacy for people in socioeconomic weaker areas of Gothenburg. An online-survey experiment was conducted, and the results were analysed using linear regression. No hypotheses could be verified and reasons for this could be due to small sample size (N=324) and a weak manipulation in the experiment. Since many people watch fiction and entertainment, future research could consider representation in fiction alongside political representation.