Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3, 2531-2542 2025 Publisher: Learning Gate DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate History: Received: 23 January 2025; Revised: 10 March 2025; Accepted: 14 March 2025; Published: 28 March 2025 * Correspondence: wisut.k@siu.ac.th The use of communication platforms and cognitive heuristics in political decision making of Thailand novice voters Wisut Khunsiri1*, Napapan Pattanachatchai2, Pastkorn Nanthawatsiri3, Sumathee Thiamsakul4, Dungkamol Intaratat5 1Academy of Arts and Philosophy, Shinawatra University, Thailand; wisut.k@siu.ac.th (W.K.). 2,4Faculty of Management Sciences, Surin Rajabhat University, Thailand. 3,5Communication Innovation for Political and Local Administration, Sukhothai Thammathirat University, Thailand. Abstract: This study investigates the role of online media in shaping the political decision-making process among novice voters in Thailand, particularly Generation Z. Given the increasing reliance on digital platforms, understanding the factors influencing their political perceptions and party loyalty is crucial. The study aims to (1) examine the most influential political communication platforms among eligible voters, (2) identify key political information that voters retain, (3) analyze decision-making processes in selecting political representatives, and (4) explore factors contributing to novice voter loyalty. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from Generation Z university students across Thailand (excluding the southern region) through online questionnaires. Findings indicate that social media platforms, particularly Facebook, TikTok, X, and YouTube, play a dominant role in political information dissemination. Novice voters exhibit limited political knowledge but rely on cognitive heuristics, such as party imagery, influencer endorsements, and polling trends, to form opinions. Moreover, emotional attachment significantly outweighs rational analysis in their decision- making, leading to sustained party loyalty even in the face of ethical or legal controversies. The study underscores the need for enhanced media literacy education to equip young voters with critical thinking skills for political information assessment. Parents and educators should promote digital literacy, fact- checking, and rational decision-making to counter misinformation. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of youth political engagement and offer insights for policymakers in refining communication strategies in the digital era. Keywords: Cognitive Heuristics, Generation Z, Online Media, Party Loyalty, Political Communication, Thailand. 1. Introduction Since 2017, Thai politics has witnessed several intriguing events. One of the most significant events was the rise and dissolution of the Future Forward Party. The Future Forward Party, established in 2018, garnered considerable public attention. In the general election during 2019, the Future Forward Party received 6,330,617 votes, accounting for 17.79% of the total votes cast, resulting in 81 seats in the House of Representatives. This rapid growth made the party a significant political force [1]. However, in February 2020, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Future Forward Party due to violations of election laws. Despite this, the Move Forward Party, which inherited the personnel and ideology of the Future Forward Party, gained even more support. In the subsequent 2023 election, Itthiporn Boonprakong, Chairman of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), reported that 39,293,867 people exercised their voting rights, representing 75.22% of the total eligible voters in the country, which exceeds 52 million people. The Move Forward Party received 14,255,539 votes, 2532 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate accounting for 42.50% of the total votes cast, and secured 151 seats in the House of Representatives [1]. The party can form a government with support if it avoids sensitive issues. The 2023 election saw the Move Forward Party emerge as the political party with the most MPs. However, it is also a party whose members have committed ethical and legal violations [2] including sexual harassment by MPs [3]. This has resulted in the party's reputation being continually tarnished, yet it continues to receive growing support. A comparison of the 2023 election statistics with those of 2019 shows an increase of nearly 8 million supporters. Additionally, quarterly political popularity surveys for the first quarter of 2024 by NIDA Poll, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration, revealed that 48.45% of the respondents would support the Move Forward Party if an election were held today. The results show that the Move Forward Party is a significant political phenomenon, raising questions about the factors contributing to the increased loyalty and support of voters. Nevertheless, just over a year later, on August 7, 2024, the Constitutional Court voted to dissolve the Move Forward Party. The court cited that the party and its MPs have expressed opinions advocating for the amendment or repeal of Section 112 through political activities and social media platforms on several occasions. The judges unanimously voted to dissolve the Move Forward Party under Section 92(1) of the Political Parties Act for attempting to overthrow the government, with an 8 to 1 majority vote under Section 92(2) of the Political Parties Act for actions deemed hostile to the state [4]. These events indicate that over the past half-decade, the orange party has been consistently viewed negatively, yet election results and popularity trends have moved in the opposite direction, leading to questions about how this political party operates and what key factors contribute to its success. 1.1. Research Objectives The following are identified as objectives of this study: 1. To examine the most influential political communication platforms among novice voters. 2. To identify the primary political information points that novice voters remember. 3. To analyze the decision-making process in choosing representatives among novice voters. 4. To explore the factors contributing to novice voter loyalty in political parties. 1.2. Theorethical Framework This research employs the following concepts and theories: 1) Concept of Perception from Social Media Platforms 2) Concept of Party Partisan 3) Cognitive Heuristics Theory 1.2.1. Concept of Perception from Social Media Platforms in Thailand The following Figure 1 illustrates the leading social media platforms for news in 2024. 2533 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Figure 1. Leading social media platforms for news Thailand 2024. Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1291398/thailand-leading-social-media-platforms-for-news/. According to Ciba [5] Facebook was the leading social media platform for news in Thailand, used by 64 percent of respondents. Other leading platforms for news consumption were YouTube and LINE. LINE, a popular messaging app in Thailand, has also recently created the 'LINE Today' section as a news source within the LINE app. 1.2.2. Social Media as a News Source for the Younger Generation Social media is an efficient way for audiences to access news and share content, especially since it is less regulated than other forms of media in Thailand. Popular social media platforms among Thais, such as Facebook and YouTube, are the major sites for audiences to join in on live events and exercise freedom of speech. The LINE messaging application is also the main platform for users to share the news. Additionally, Twitter and TikTok are playing an increasingly significant role in shaping how news and sentiment on recent events are discussed, such as the recent youth-led protests in Thailand. The fast and unregulated form of communication on social media, therefore, has cultivated a preference for online news among the younger generation in Thailand. 1.3. Party Loyalty (Party Partisan) The concept of party loyalty (Party Partisan) is essential for analyzing voting behavior and party support in democratic systems. In countries with stable party systems, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, party loyalty is often defined as a deep and continuous psychological attachment to a particular political party. This loyalty is usually expressed by repeatedly voting for the same party across several elections. Green, et al. [6] described party loyalty as a strong psychological attachment, particularly when voters identify socially with a political party. This identification can be developed from various factors, such as socialization during youth from family or community, belief in the party's political ideology, or 2534 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate even social relationships with local party members. This loyalty may lead voters to continue supporting the same party even if there are changes in the candidate or critical polical. Similarly, Campbell, et al. [7] emphasized that party loyalty is closely related to party identification, which is a key indicator for predicting voting behavior. Party identification is an emotional and psychological connection between an individual and a political party, leading to attachment and stability in voting behavior. Their studies found that those with clear party identification are less likely to change their supported party easily, and this continued support often plays a significant role in determining election outcomes. Party loyalty also affects the political strategies of political parties. Parties with a highly loyal supporter base can focus on maintaining and building this base while employing political marketing strategies to attract potential swing voters. For example, in U.S. elections, studies have shown that even when voters are dissatisfied with the party's candidate, they still vote for the party due to their loyalty to the party or its ideology. Moreover, whether abroad or even in Thailand, party loyalty remains a crucial factor in determining election outcomes and shaping the strategies of political parties. 1.4. Cognitive Heuristics Many scholars were cited in the research "Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive Heuristics in Political Decision Making" [8]. It is similarly stated that the cognitive heuristics variables that citizens can use to understand politics can be categorized into five major areas: (1) Information about candidates and political parties that align with voters' preferences (party affiliation) is one of the most critical principles for reducing information processing demands. (2) Ideological information involves using the ideological perspectives of the party and candidates to simplify thinking and decision-making efforts. (3) Endorsements by well-known individuals serve as a reliance on approvals from reputable figures, helping to distill complex information into easily understandable terms. In essence, it is the filtering of information through credible sources. (4) Poll results are used to reduce the amount of information that needs to be processed by providing insights into a candidate's chances of winning the competition, which can either boost confidence or lead to a change of mind, avoiding support for a less likely candidate, as voting for them could be seen as a waste. (5) Image appearance refers to the consideration of external characteristics, both of the candidates and the political party, which are perceived as attractive or impressive from their external image. This often leads to a generalized interpretation that the candidate or party is modern and outstanding based on their appearance. Each of these principles aids in simplifying the political decision-making process, but they can also introduce biases or errors, particularly when applied by individuals with limited political experience. These variables have been used in research in the United States in 2001, with findings showing that these variables are significant factors that voters remember and use in political decision-making concisely and quickly. The researcher applied three concepts: 1) Perception from social media, 2) Party Partisan, and 3) Cognitive Heuristic Theory [8] as a framework to study political phenomena in Thailand from 2017 to 2024, a period marked by the 2017 Constitution and the rise of the orange political party. Figure 2 illustrates the research framework of study, 2535 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Figure 2. Research Framework. Source: Wisut Khunsiri et al., integrated and applied from the three concepts mentioned above: 1) Concept of perception from social media, 2) Party Partisan Concept, and 3) Cognitive Heuristic Theory [8]. 1.5. Definitions 1) Orange Party refers to the political party that inherited its ideology from the Future Forward Party, including the Move Forward Party and the People's Party. 2) Reception refers to the process by which the target audience of the party selects media, chooses to receive, and remembers information from the political party. 3) Cognitive Heuristics refer to the psychology of managing large amounts of information to use as reasons for decision-making by filtering information and choosing to remember key points. Cognitive heuristics are suitable for individuals with sufficient knowledge of the decision-making topic, as knowledge helps reduce the negative impact of biases. The variables include Party affiliation, Ideology, Endorsements, Poll results, Image appearance. 4) Party Partisan refers to the behavior of individuals who consistently support a political party, even when faced with contrary factors. 5) Novice Voters refer to Gen Z citizens born since 1994, who have been eligible to vote since 2019 and have experienced no more than two elections. 1.6. Research Hypotheses 1) Most novice voters cannot clearly articulate the party's ideology. 2) Most novice voters use the party's external image in their political decision-making. 3) Most novice voters use online media to receive political information. 4) Most novice voter’s emotions often outweigh reason. 2. Methodology This research employs a mixed-methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative methods to answer four objectives. 2.1. Population and Sample This research studies political phenomena in Thailand related to the orange party and predicts the upcoming elections in the next a few years. Therefore, the researcher selected Gen Z (Table 1), who are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, as the target group. 2536 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Table 1. 2024 Gen Z population size data. Year of Birth B.E./A.D. Age Male Female Total 2551/2008 16 402,523 381,599 784,122 2550/2007 17 410,769 389,109 799,878 2549/2006 18 407,445 386,154 793,599 2548/2005 19 411,675 393,225 804,900 2547/2004 20 408,578 389,451 798,029 2546/2003 21 402,172 384,800 786,972 2545/2002 22 399,771 383,472 783,243 2544/2001 23 412,669 398,022 810,691 2543/2000 24 422,884 408,507 831,391 2542/1999 25 425,020 411,483 836,503 2541/1998 26 473,883 459,854 933,737 2540/1997 27 495,125 480,376 975,501 2539/1996 28 492,320 476,956 969,276 2538/1995 29 484,605 470,595 955,200 2537/1994 30 473,589 463,277 936,866 Gen Z with voting rights in 2027 6,523,028 6,276,880 12,799,908 Source: The Department of Provincial Administration [9]. The researcher based on the Gen Z population size data from the Department of Provincial Administration [9] to calculate the population size as listed in Table 2. Table 2. Sample Size Calculation Table (Krejcie & Morgan). Description Data (N) Population under study: 12,800,000 (e) Acceptable error margin (%): 0.1 (X2) Confidence level (%): 2.706 (P) Proportion of the characteristic of interest in the population (if unknown, set to 0.5): 0.5 (s) Sample size: 67.65 Source: https://hpc11.go.th/meworkingge/krejciemorgan/view?N=12800000&e=0.1&X2=2.706&p=0.5&s=67.64964774617 2.2. Sample Selection In this study, the sample selected for data collection consists of Gen Z students currently enrolled in various universities across the country. The sample selection method employed is convenience sampling. The steps in selecting the sample are as follows: 1. The target population for this research consists of Gen Z students currently studying in various universities across the country. 2. Universities were selected based on convenience from the target population, with a focus on those that were easily accessible and where data collection could be conducted conveniently. Preference was given to universities where existing contacts or familiarities allowed for easier coordination. 3. Within the selected universities, students were chosen based on ease of access, while considering diversity in gender, academic disciplines, and year of study to ensure that the data collected would be as comprehensive as possible. 4. Data collection was conducted by distributing online questionnaires which included closed-ended questions to gather data for quantitative analysis, as well as open-ended questions that allowed respondents to freely express their opinions for qualitative analysis. 5. This research was conducted with due consideration for the privacy of participants. Online questionnaires were employed, ensuring anonymity by not collecting any personally identifiable information, such as names, surnames, email addresses, or any contact details that could reveal the identity of the respondents. 2537 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 2.3. Research Instruments The research instruments used were open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires, including both quantitative and qualitative questions in the same survey, to study media reception, political information retention, political decision-making, and the persistence of information retention and decision-making that affects party loyalty. The research instruments were validated by three experts. 2.4. Triangulation of Data Verification This research employs triangulation to verify data by collecting information through questionnaires that contain different types of questions administered simultaneously include: 1. Open-ended questions to access detailed, in-depth responses freely. 2. Closed-ended questions designed to capture quantitative responses, with a scale ranging from 1 as the lowest to 5 as the highest. 3. The distribution of questionnaires to university students across all regions of Thailand, except for the southern region, where the orange party won only a small number of seats—three in total, solely from Phuket province. The universities where the online questionnaires were distributed, categorized by region, are as follows: 1. Central Region: Thammasat University, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University 2. Bangkok Region: Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon 3. Eastern Region: Burapha University 4. Northern Region: Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University 5. Northeastern Region: Surin Rajabhat University 2.5. Data Analysis The research questions were designed to study each objective, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative questions. The researcher designed the instruments this way to ensure consistency between in-depth qualitative data and quantitative data from the same set of instruments. Additionally, the data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative responses were analyzed descriptively, while the quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1. Demographic Characteristics 3.1.1. Personnel Information The majority of respondents are between the ages of 16-20 (48.78%), followed by the 21-25 age group (34.15%). Only 17.07% are aged 26-30, indicating that most respondents are young. The majority of respondents are female (51.22%) and have a bachelor’s degree (87.80%), reflecting that the target audience consists mainly of students or those in educational settings. 3.2. Election Experience In the 2019 election, 58.54% of respondents voted for the Orange Party. By 2023, support for the Orange Party increased significantly, with 75.60% voting for the party in the constituency ballot and 73.17% in the party-list ballot, showing a rising trend in support for the party. 3.3. Political Communication Platforms Used by Novice Voters Respondents mainly receive political information from online media, with 87.80% stating that they rely on it as their primary source. Facebook is the most popular platform, with 39% of respondents using it. This is followed by TikTok (26.83%), X (17.07%), and YouTube (12.19%). 2538 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 3.4. Political Information Retention of Novice Voters 3.4.1. Political Party Identification A significant portion of respondents (39.02%) moderately remember party leaders, candidates, and party visions, while 31.70% remember them to a great extent. Additionally, respondents recall policies at varying levels, such as opposition to power succession and military reform (24.39%) and education reform (9.76%). 3.5. Ideology and Policy Recall The result shows that 36.59% of respondents could not clearly recall or explain the party's ideology, often providing broad answers. Meanwhile, 24.39% recalled policies focused on military reform, which impacts national security [10] and 12.20% recalled policies regarding the repeal of Section 112, affecting the system of governance. Additionally, a smaller portion remembered ideologies related to education reform, government transparency, and gender equality. 3.6. Endorsement Impact 3.6.1. Influencer Endorsement Name List Nearly half of the respondents (48.78%) could not recall any influencer names, and only 19.51% could recall at least one name. A few respondents remembered influencers such as Sai, Petch, and Mew. The influence of endorsements from influencers was reported as moderate by 26.83% of respondents. 3.6.2. Impact of Influencers Supporting the Same Party The Result shows that the impact of influencers supporting a political party is distributed across various levels. 26.83% of respondents indicated that the impact was moderate, while an equal proportion of 26.83% believed the impact was low. Additionally, 19.50% stated that the impact was high, with the responses for both the highest and very low impact being similarly distributed. 3.7. Poll Impact 3.7.1. Poll Recall According to the survey, 34.15% of respondents were unsure and did not follow any polling data, while 29.27% mentioned NIDA Poll as the most referenced source. Additionally, 21.95% did not respond to the question. Other sources, such as the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), The Standard, and Khao Sod, were mentioned to a lesser extent. 3.7.2. Impact of Popularity Surveys on Respondent to voter About 36.59% of respondents indicated that poll results had a high impact on their voting decisions, but 34.15% were unsure about the credibility of the polls and did not 3.8. Image Appearance 3.8.1. Prominent Party Leaders Representing the Party Pita was the most prominently recognized leader, cited by 46.34% of respondents.Both party leaders and candidates were seen as equally important in shaping theparty’s image. 3.8.2. Effectiveness of the Semiotic and Nonverbal in Helping Respondents Remember the Party According to the survey, 43.90% of respondents found that the use of semiotics and nonverbal communication by the party had the greatest impact on helping them remember the political party. Meanwhile, 24.40% indicated a moderate effect, and 21.95% stated it had a significant impact. The remaining respondents saw the impact as minimal at 7.30%, and 2.40% reported no effect at all. 2539 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 3.9. Influence of Atmosphere at the Event Overall, the impact of the atmosphere in the party’s activities contributes to creating recognition and influencing electoral decisions at moderate to high levels. Specifically, 36.58% of respondents rated the impact as high, followed by 34.15% who rated it as moderate, and 21.95% who rated it as very high. 4. Political Decision-Making of Novice Voters 4.1. Respondents' Decision-Making Processes on Election Day Novice voters employ five cognitive heuristic variables in their political decision-making, with research confirming that these variables are key factors remembered and used by novice voters in Thailand during elections, and most respondents (68.29%) made quick decisions on Election Day based on key points they remembered, while 31.71% carefully reconsidered all information before deciding. as detailed in Table 3: Table 3. Number and Percentage of Decision-Making Behavior. Decision-Making Behavior Number Percentage On election day, the ability to make quick decisions based on recalled key information 56 68.29 On election day, the preference to carefully reconsider information from all political parties 26 31.71 Total 82 100.00 4.2. Rank of Reasons for Supporting the Orange Party 1st The primary reason for supporting the Orange Party was a desire to see its ideologies realized (73.17%), but many lack knowledge and cannot define or explain the party's ideology. 2nd Wanted to see the party's good ideologies realized 3rd Influenced by the party's image, personnel, and creative political activities 4th Influenced by the party's alignment with their values and beliefs 5th Trusted the party because it was endorsed by credible individuals 6th Influenced by polls, believing that voting for the party would not be a wasted vote The following Table 4 outlines the average and standard deviation of political party recognition and retention. Table 4. Average and Standard Deviation of Political Party Recognition and Retention. 5. Factors Affecting Party Loyalty among Novice Voters 5.1. Political stability in an Unchanging Context For information retention and political decision-making, 39.02% reported a high level, and 29.27% a moderate level. For external factors, if the party's ideologies, policies, and personnel remain unchanged, 36.59% indicated high support, and 34.15% the highest support. The following Table 5 summarizes the average and Standard Deviation of party loyalty. Political Party Recognition and Retention Mean (�̅�) S.D. Interpretation Symbols, logos, colors, fonts, slogans aid in party recognition. 3.97 1.09 High Atmosphere of party events 3.68 1.00 High Poll results 3.43 1.06 Moderate Recognition and retention of political party information 3.31 1.05 Moderate Feelings of attachment to the chosen political party. 2.97 1.12 Moderate Endorsements by celebrities or influencers 2.87 1.24 Moderate Overall 3.37 0.81 Moderate 2540 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Table 5. Average and Standard Deviation of Party Loyalty. 5.2. Respondents' Reactions to Party Personnel's Ethical or Legal Violations If party personnel were to commit ethical or legal violations, 63.42% of respondents would continue to support the party but would prefer stricter candidate screening. 6. Conclusion 6.1. Media Reception The research findings on media usage indicate that Gen Z respondents predominantly use online media platforms for political information reception, with the top four platforms being 1) Facebook, 2) TikTok, 3) X, and 4) YouTube. This aligns with Khunsiri [11] research, which stated that Gen Z, born in the digital age, are adept at and prefer using online media. The popular online media platforms in Thailand include 1) Facebook, 2) TikTok, 3) X, and 4) YouTube, as corroborated by Ciba [5] who noted that in 2024, Facebook was the leading social media platform for news in Thailand, used by 64% of respondents, followed by YouTube and LINE. 6.2. Political Information Retention The research also revealed that novice voters have limited political knowledge and skills, with emotions playing a significant role in their political decision-making: 1) The ideology is the first recognition, however most of novice voters lacked political knowledge, could not explain, and did not understand the meaning of ideology and policy. They mistakenly believed they were ideological voters. 2) The desire to see good ideologies and policies realized: The data received from novice voters clearly reflect that most lack knowledge and cannot define or explain the party's ideology. Only a minority could correctly identify the core aspects of the ideology and policies. Furthermore, the ideologies they mostly articulated were related to power struggles, efforts to repeal national security laws [10] and attempts to reform the monarchy. However, novice voters mostly remembered minimal information related to national development and quality of life improvement 3) Preference for the party's image, symbols, logo, colors, fonts, and slogans, the types of leadership language as advocated by Irfan and Krishnasamy [12] 4) Personal preference and alignment with the party. 5) Trust in endorsements by credible individuals: This trust often stems from media personalities or celebrities affiliated with the party, many of whom are connected to the party leadership's relatives. Hence, most of the information from these figures is party propaganda. 6) Trust in poll results: Polls had a moderate impact on political decision-making, with NIDA Poll being the most recognized and followed by novice voters. The findings not only explain the factors influencing political decision-making but also highlight that a significant portion of novice voters (34.15%) were unsure, lacked knowledge, or did not follow political polls. Additionally, 21.95% did not answer the question, while 4.88% mistakenly identified the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) as a polling organization, indicating a general lack of political knowledge. The overall data, the average (x) of political party recognition and retention was moderate, leaning towards high, at 3.37. However, specific factors showed high averages and significantly influenced political decision-making, ranked as follows: 1. Semiotic: Symbols, logos, colors, fonts, and slogans were highly effective in aiding party recognition. Political Party Recognition and Retention Mean (�̅�) S.D. Interpretation Persistence in information retention and political decision-making 3.70 0.97 High If the party's ideology, policies, and personnel remain the same, there is a high likelihood that the next election will yield the same decision as the previous one 4.02 0.84 High Overall 3.86 0.80 High 2541 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 2. Atmosphere, number of participants, lighting, sound, and stage design at party events, both online and offline, were highly effective in aiding party recognition and decision-making. 3. Poll results showing high popularity of a political party increased confidence in that party, at a moderate level leaning towards high. 4. Recognition and retention of political party information, including leaders, candidates, and visions, were at a moderate level. 5. Feelings of attachment to the chosen political party were at a moderate level. 6. Endorsements by celebrities and influencers who support the same political party increased confidence in that party at a moderate level. Thai novice voters lack political knowledge and experience but believe themselves to be ideologically driven. They tend to rely on emotions over reason, focusing on and remembering the image of political parties, politicians, and the atmosphere, activities, and symbols they favor. Celebrities, influencers, and poll results also significantly influence their recall and decision-making processes. This aligns with the findings of the study "Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive Heuristics in Political Decision Making" by Lau and Redlawsk [8]. 6.3. Decision-Making Novice voters employ five cognitive heuristic variables in their political decision-making, with research confirming that these variables are key factors remembered and used by novice voters in Thailand during elections. It is noteworthy that these variables are associated with "emotions, preferences, beliefs, and desires," with limited use of intellect and reason in the decision-making process. When novice voters possess limited political knowledge, attitudes, and skills, it places the governance and administration of the country at significant risk. This aligns with the findings of the study "Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive Heuristics in Political Decision Making" [8] which states that novice voters who lack political knowledge and experience are prone to make erroneous political decisions due to their inexperience and biases, which can have detrimental effects on the nation. 6.4. Party Loyalty Regarding party loyalty, it was found that once respondents recognized and made a decision, this behavior exhibited high persistence. In future elections, there is a strong likelihood that novice voters will continue to use the same information, beliefs, and feelings in their political decision-making, resulting in loyalty to the political party. The political loyalty of Gen Z novice voters is relatively strong due to their psychology and behavior consistent with the research of Khunsiri [11] which noted that Gen Z is a demographic group where emotions often outweigh reason. Similarly, Campbell, et al. [7] emphasized that party loyalty is closely related to party identification, which is a key indicator for predicting voting behavior. Party identification is an emotional and psychological connection between an individual and a political party, leading to attachment and stability in voting behavior. Their studies found that clear party identification makes voters less likely to change parties., and this continued support significantly influences election outcomes. 63.42% of novice voters would still support the same party even if its members violated legal or ethical standards. Additionally, 60.97% showed high loyalty and support, aligning with Green, et al. [6] who describe party loyalty as a strong psychological attachment. This attachment often stems from early socialization, belief in the party's ideology, or relationships with party members, leading voters to maintain support despite changes in candidates or political circumstances. 6.5. Summary of Hypotheses 1. The hypothesis that most novice voters use online media to receive political information is correct. 2. The hypothesis that most novice voters cannot clearly articulate the party's ideology is correct. 2542 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 9, No. 3: 2531-2542, 2025 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5840 © 2025 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 3. The hypothesis that most novice voters use external images in their political decision-making is correct 4. The hypothesis that most novice voter's emotions often outweigh reason is correct. Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. This study followed all ethical practices during writing. Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. This open-access article is distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 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