Virtual networks, rational calculation and online political participation

this paper examines the mechanism that influences the behavior of citizen participation through the use of mass media. The research method is descriptive-analytic correlation type. In terms of controlling the status of the research, a survey is a cross-sectional (second half of 1396). The statistical population of the study was citizens aged 18 years and above the multi-city areas of Sanandaj. The size of the sample was determined according to the maximum dispersion and error rate of 5% based on the Cochran formula. 384 persons were selected and the sampling was done by multi-stage cluster sampling. The descriptive results of the study indicate that the respondents in the cyberspace have a high presence and high rank of respondents in the audiences' behavior and, to some extent, in moderate behaviors (such as voting, launching a political debate, trying to persuade another to vote in a particular way, etc.) Mediocre behaviors (such as attending a political gathering, financial support for a political or nominee, contact with political officials, etc.). Also, the results indicate a significant and direct relationship between online social capital and political participation in the three dimensions, especially its moderate (0.564). In addition, the results of the study indicated that the rational choice variable (reducing the cost of participation, time, and increasing opportunities) was a mediating variable in the interface between presence in cyberspace and political participation, and the sum of these two variables was about 45% of the variation of variables Political participation has been explained.