The Trappings of Science Media Messages, Scientific Authority, and Beliefs About Paranormal Investigators

This study examines the influence of media messages about paranormal investigators on perceptions of how scientific and credible such investigators are, as well as on beliefs about paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and haunted houses. The analyses use experimental data to test the effects of three...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience communication Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 311 - 333
Main Author Brewer, Paul R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.06.2013
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Belief & doubt
Mass Media
News Coverage
Perceptions
Science
Science and Technology
Trapping
Unexplained phenomena
mass media
public perception of science
psychology of communication
quantitative analysis
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Summary:This study examines the influence of media messages about paranormal investigators on perceptions of how scientific and credible such investigators are, as well as on beliefs about paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and haunted houses. The analyses use experimental data to test the effects of three different versions of a news story about paranormal investigators: one version presenting them with “trappings of science” such as technology and jargon, another presenting them in terms of traditional supernaturalism, and yet another debunking them as unscientific. The analyses also test whether various forms of media use predict perceptions regarding paranormal investigators and phenomena.
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ISSN:1075-5470
1552-8545
DOI:10.1177/1075547012454599