Third-Person Effects and the Environment: Social Distance, Social Desirability, and Presumed Behavior

• Published in: Journal of communication Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 242 - 256
• Main Authors: Jensen, Jakob D., Hurley, Ryan J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2005; Blackwell
• Subjects: Communication; Environment; Human behaviour; Information and communication theories; Information communication; Linguistics; Mass media; Media; News; Semiotics and communication; Social aspects; Social desirability; Social distance
• ISSN: 0021-9916; 1460-2466
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2005.tb02670.x

Previous research has documented third‐person effects (persons presuming that others will be more susceptible to media effects than they themselves are) and explored moderators such as social desirability (the effect reverses when the media effects are undesirable) and social distance (the effect increases as the social distance from the self increases). In a study of environmental news coverage, the authors observed the general third‐person effect and the moderating role of social desirability; however, they also found that social distance affected presumed influence in complex ways reflecting varying perceptions of issue relevance for the comparison groups. A new variable, presumed behavior (the presumed effect of media coverage on others' behavior), was found to be independent of presumed influence and to offer improved prediction of perceivers' behavioral intentions.