What the study found
The study found that voting advice applications, or VAAs, did not improve party position knowledge in the same way for all users. A youth-oriented VAA was associated with better correct identification of party positions, while a generic VAA was not.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings provide rare causal evidence about party position knowledge effects from real-world VAA exposure. They also say the results highlight the importance of tailoring such tools to specific audiences.
What the researchers tested
The researchers ran a large-scale experiment in Flanders, Belgium, with respondents aged 16 to 30. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group or to one of two real-world VAAs: De Stemtest, a generic application for the general electorate, or De Jongerenstemtest, a youth-oriented version designed for younger citizens.
What worked and what didn't
Multilevel logistic regression models showed that exposure to the generic VAA produced no significant learning effect. Exposure to the youth-oriented VAA significantly improved respondents' ability to identify party positions correctly. The learning effects did not vary systematically across parties or between mainstream and niche parties.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the study's focus on Belgian young people and the two specific VAAs tested. The results are based on this experiment and the measures reported in the abstract.
Key points
- A youth-oriented voting advice application improved young respondents' party position knowledge.
- A generic voting advice application did not produce a significant learning effect.
- The experiment included 2,291 respondents aged 16 to 30 in Flanders, Belgium.
- Participants were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two VAA treatments.
- Learning effects did not differ systematically across mainstream and niche parties.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Youth-oriented voting advice app improved party position knowledge
- Authors:
- Joke Matthieu, Laura Jacobs, Matthias Van Campenhout, Stefaan Walgrave
- Institutions:
- University of Antwerp, University of Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-28
- DOI:
- 10.17645/pag.11235
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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