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

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 in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of communication Vol. 55; no. 2; p. 242
Main Authors Jensen, Jakob D, Hurley, Ryan J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Oxford University Press 01.06.2005
Subjects
Behavior
Censorship
Communication
Doctoral Students
Environment
Grade 4
Group dynamics
Hypotheses
Measurement techniques
Media coverage
Meta Analysis
News Reporting
Perceptions
Predictor Variables
Researchers
Social Desirability
Social Distance
Social life & customs
Speech Communication
Sports fans
Variables
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Summary: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.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0021-9916
1460-2466
DOI:10.1093/joc/55.2.242