This study sought to understand whether people’s exposure to online quiz questions about politics could pique people’s interest in political news and politics. An online experiment (N = 585) showed support for a mediation model that demonstrated the psychological process by which taking an online political quiz could boost interest in political news and politics. Results showed that exposure to the quiz indirectly increased interest in politics and political news and intention to get politically engaged, mediated through perception of political knowledge. Results are discussed in relation to the benefits of interactivity as an engagement tool for news websites and shed light on how the mere exposure effect operates online.
