Amid the growing role of social media in shaping public opinion, a new study from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) examines how political conversations in digital spaces influence young people’s emotions and political engagement. Drawing on the dynamics of discourse on platforms like TikTok—from sympathetic support to aggressive commentary, the research seeks to understand users’ response patterns to political conversations of differing tones and characteristics. This study is funded by the 2025 Research Grant of the Faculty of Psychology UGM and is situated within the Cyberpsychology theme at the Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP).
Led by Fakhirah Inayaturrobbani, S.Psi., M.A., with a cross-expertise team in Social Psychology, the research focuses on Generation Z as the primary population. Born between 1997 and 2012, this group is known for actively consuming and producing content and serves as a key actor in online political discussions. Using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and the BIAS Map framework, the study maps how perceptions of “warmth” and “competence” in political conversations trigger specific emotions, such as admiration, pity, envy, or disgust, which in turn shape tendencies toward online political behavior, whether facilitative or harmful.
The study employs an experimental between-subjects design. Gen Z participants are randomly assigned to five conditions: conversations perceived as high warmth–high competence (HWHC), high warmth–low competence (HWLC), low warmth–high competence (LWHC), low warmth–low competence (LWLC), and a neutral control group. Stimuli take the form of TikTok-style political posts constructed realistically using a post generator, complete with curated account names, rights-cleared visuals, and controlled engagement indicators (likes, comments, shares). After exposure, participants assess perceived warmth and competence, report elicited emotions, and indicate behavioral tendencies, such as liking, commenting, sharing, ignoring, or reporting content.
Theoretically, the study tests the prediction that HWHC conversations tend to elicit admiration and encourage constructive engagement (supporting, discussing, sharing). HWLC conversations may evoke pity leading to passive support. LWHC conversations, competent yet cold/aggressive, are likely to elicit envy and spark competitive debate. Meanwhile, LWLC conversations with low warmth and competence are more likely to trigger disgust or contempt, prompting avoidance or even active attacks. The principle of the “primacy of warmth” is also examined, namely the proposition that conversational warmth plays a more decisive role than competence in shaping online political attitudes and behaviors.
Data collection targets 250 participants who actively follow political discussions on TikTok. Internal validity is maintained through random assignment, manipulation checks, randomized measure order, and the use of a cover story to minimize bias. Data will be analyzed using MANOVA and ANOVA to examine the effects of conversation categories on emotions and behavioral tendencies simultaneously, as well as differences in perceived warmth and competence across conditions. The study aims for international publication in cyberpsychology and social media outlets, alongside coverage of the research process via CICP channels and the Faculty of Psychology UGM website.
The research team comprises Fakhirah Inayaturrobbani, S.Psi., M.A., (lead), Haidar Buldan Thontowi, S.Psi., M.A., Ph.D., Samudera Fadlilla Jamaluddin, S.Psi., M.Sc., and research assistants from alumni and students: Lusiana Yashinta Ellisa Putri, S.Psi., M.Sc., Faiqal Dima Hanif, S.Psi., Ahmad Yusrifan Amrullah, S.Psi., Dea Siti Hafsha, and Amr Yazid Pikoli. This cross-tier involvement is expected to strengthen execution quality, from context-sensitive stimulus development tailored to Indonesia to rigorous data processing. The entire process is designed over 12 months, covering stimulus development, scale piloting, experimentation, staged data analysis, and manuscript preparation.
Through a rigorous experimental approach centered on Indonesian social media users’ experiences, the study is expected to contribute theoretically to understanding how political content and conversations shape emotions and political participation behaviors among young people. Practically, the findings may guide media account managers, policymakers, and content creators in designing political discourse that is warm, competent, and conducive to constructive participation. In doing so, digital conversations may become more inclusive, less polarizing, and supportive of public trust in democratic processes.
Writer: Raden Roro Anisa Anggi Dinda