ACADEMIC LEVEL AS A COGNITIVE ORGANIZER: SHAPING PALESTINIAN PUBLIC RESPONSE TO DIGITAL INFLUENCERS THROUGH THE ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODEL

Abstract

From digital communication tools to significant persuasion platforms. Social media became a powerful digital word due to the rapid increasing growth of influencers, users, and digital landscape. Various prior research has focused on user engagement, persuasive communication methods and influencers credibility. However, the role of academic level as a cognitive organizer that impacts information processing has received less to almost no attention in the Palestinian or even international context. Thus, through the lens of The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) this study examines how academic level impacts the Palestinians public responses and engagement to digital influencers. It suggests that individuals with higher academic levels are more likely to follow the central route of ELM in processing persuasive messages, whereas those with lower academic levels tend to follow the peripheral route. Built on the Cognitive Processing Theory of Persuasion and mainly using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986), this research used a mixed-method approach relying on a standardized questionnaire that gathered quantitative data from 373 Palestinian participants from six different academic levels which measured their behavior and engagement with digital messages. Quantitative data was examined using SPSS statistics. Among with five in depth structured interviews with Palestinian social media influencers mainly active on Instagram to gather qualitative data using Braun and Clarke's (2006) theme analysis. Findings indicate that public response to digital content is strongly influenced by the academic level of individuals. Particularly the third hypothesis of the study which proposed that Academic level is a significant influencer on the attitude toward digital influencers. Qualitative data further revealed how influencers believed that their followers' academic level impact their response, engagement, potential purchasing behavior and also the language and behavior while engaging. Findings of the interviews supported hypotheses 1 and 2 of the study which indicates how academic level influences processing of individuals to digital content. The study concludes that Palestinian digital users' processing to online content is affected by their level of education which serves as a cognitive organizer in this study. The findings expand the application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model within the Palestinian context offering useful implications for influencers, communication practitioners and researchers. This study found that high academic levels were associated with central route processing among Palestinian users on social media.