Information Perception on Military Civil Affairs via Digital Technology

Abstract

This research aims to study: 1) the level of Thai citizens’ perception of Thai military civil affairs via digital technology across the dimensions of information exposure, selectivity, and memorability; 2) the factors influencing the perception of civil affairs information; and 3) to propose appro priate guidelines for enhancing public perception of Thai military civil affairs via digital technology in the civilian sector. The study employed a systematic random sampling method to collect empirical data from respondents residing in areas
under Military Regions 1-5 of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression).

The research findings revealed that: 1) the level of perception among Thai citizens regarding Thai military civil affairs via digital technology––interms of information exposure, selectivity, and memorability––was at a moderate level (mean = 2.67, SD = 0.63); 2) basic knowledge, inference and hypothesis formulation skills, differentiation ability,
and the ability to establish connections were all found to influence perception at a moderate level (mean = 2.93, SD = 0.65). Hypothesis testing resulted in six predictive models, with coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 16.6% to 70%; and 3) the appropriate approach to improving
public perception of military civil affairs through digital technology is to enhance the content to ensure it is consistent and easily memorable, particularly in the areas of national development, disaster relief, and the protection and honor of the monarchy.