@article {315261,
	title = {Social Butterflies and Politics: Exploring the Link between Sociability and Political Engagement, Online and Off},
	journal = {Journal of Information Technology \& Politics},
	volume = {9},
	number = {4},
	year = {2012},
	pages = {402-414},
	abstract = {This article explores the relationship between individual-level sociability and political engagement. While some evidence exists that individual-level sociability may be related to political engagement and interest, little is known about the ways in which sociability affects participation in different forms of political activity, particularly newer forms of online political engagement. Using data from the 2009 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we explore the ways in which individual-level sociability affects political engagement in a range of activities, including online political discussions. We find sociability levels affected some activities more than others. Sociability has no impact on more socially isolated political activities such as voter registration and voting, but greatly impacts engagement in political activities involving a higher degree of social interaction, such as attending a meeting where a member of Congress was present and discussing politics with others, both in person and online. These findings help explain longstanding questions about the factors that motivate participation in traditional political activities as well as newer online forms of political engagement.},
	url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19331681.2012.691039$\#$.VG0HCmfOtXo},
	author = {Heather K. Evans and Stacy Ulbig}
}
