Abstract

In Nigeria, political discussions among people with similar online political beliefs has the potential to increase positive connections among social media users within an in-group setting and a negative behavior among members of an out-group’s settings. Using data from four political songs of the top two political candidates in Nigeria posted on YouTube during the 2023 general elections, a Chi-Squared test was used to test the significance of online behavior in an in-group and among an out-group setting. The study was guided by the theoretical framework of the Social Identity Theory (SIT). The findings revealed positive pleasing, supportive and neutral behavior among members of an in-group setting and a negative unpleasing, unsupportive and inciteful behavior among members of an out-group setting.

Here is a link to the presentation slides: https://youtu.be/OMOVzbwZxXo

(This paper was presented at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Scholars Forum in April 2024. The complete paper may be available upon request, at the author’s discretion).