A study from Texas A&M University found that the political information employees consume outside of work can influence how they feel and behave on the job.
For a study published in Computers in Human Behavior, a team of researchers led by Dr. Ian Hughes, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, followed workers over nine consecutive weeks to explore whether political information consumed during personal time spills over into the workplace. The team tracked 308 full-time U.S. workers during the 2024 presidential primary season and found that weeks filled with more negatively perceived political information were associated with higher anxiety and lower work engagement.
The researchers did not attempt to determine whether political information was objectively positive or negative. Instead, participants reported whether they personally perceived the information they consumed as positive or negative.
The study found a consistent pattern when employees consumed more negatively perceived political information than was typical for them: higher levels of anxiety during the same week. That anxiety, in turn, was associated with lower workplace engagement, a measure that reflects employees' energy, enthusiasm and investment in their work. Increased anxiety also predicted a higher likelihood of self-censoring at work.
Weeks that included more positively perceived political information, meanwhile, were associated with greater hope, stronger engagement and a greater willingness to help coworkers.
"The takeaway is simply that political information has emotional consequences. As people spend more time engaging with that information, those emotions can affect other parts of life, and that includes work," Hughes said.
Hughes views this study as a foundational step, noting that "the findings are more descriptive rather than prescriptive" at this stage. He added that as more is uncovered about political information consumption across popular media channels, strategies for maintaining health and well-being while staying politically informed will become clearer.
