The role of enlarged mentality in promoting political participation

Abstract

“Enlarged mentality”, a concept introduced by Hannah Arendt that emphasizes the ability to grasp diverse perspectives through representative thinking, has long influenced political theory. However, empirical research on this concept has only just begun to emerge. This thesis utilizes the O-S-R-O-R framework to examine the cognitive and behavioral effects of its two subdimensions—sensus communis and imagination—within the context of political communication. Positioned as a pre-orientation, enlarged mentality is theorized to influence social media use, political discussion, political orientations, and ultimately political participation. Results from structural equation model revealed that sensus communis enhanced both expressive and consumptive social media use, both like-minded and cross-cutting discussion, and offline political participation, while imagination only supported consumptive social media use, cross-cutting discussions and was negatively related to offline political participation. Neither subdimension significantly influenced online political participation, indicating that the influence of enlarged mentality is more relevant to offline political behaviors. These results provide deeper understanding of the role of enlarged mentality in fostering democratic engagement.