Echoes of Persuasion: Political Slogans, Digital Media, and Youth Voting Behavior in India

Abstract This study examines the impact of digitally disseminated political slogans on the voting behavior (VB) of young Indian voters. It examines the psychological mechanisms—repetition, social endorsement, and emotional resonance—through which such slogans influence familiarity, credibility, attitudes, and ultimately, electoral decisions. A descriptive-explanatory, cross-sectional design was employed, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test a conceptual model. Data were collected from 489 Indian youth voters aged 18–25 years across 12 urban centers. Key constructs such as repetition, social endorsement, emotional resonance, familiarity, and perceived credibility (FPC) were examined for their mediating and moderating roles in shaping attitudes and voting intentions. Findings suggest that repetition and social endorsement significantly enhanced perceived credibility and positively influenced the formation of attitudes. Attitude formation further mediated the effect of credibility on VB; however, emotional resonance did not significantly impact perceived credibility. Other than that, moderation analysis revealed that age played a significant role in shaping how attitudes translated into behavior, while screen time and media literacy did not show significant moderating effects. This study offers a nuanced, empirically validated framework that integrates mediation and moderation pathways in digital political persuasion. By focusing on Indian youth—a rapidly expanding and digitally active electorate—it contributes novel insights to the global discourse on political branding, slogan effectiveness, and democratic engagement in the digital age.

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