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Communication Research
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Reconsidering the Relationship Between the Third-Person Perception and Optimistic Bias

Ran Wei

University of South Carolina

Ven-Hwei Lo

National Chengchi University

Hung-Yi Lu

National Chung Cheng University

Studies disagree as to whether an optimistic bias can account for the commonly observed third-person perceptions. This study aims to help clarify the relationship between third-person perceptions and biased optimism in the context of assessing the impact of the news about bird flu outbreaks in Taiwan. Using a random sample of 1,107 college students, third-person perception and optimistic bias were found to be robust but unrelated. Although both optimistic bias and third-person effect are psychological perceptual judgments that can be attributed to self-serving motivation, the third-person perception is a biased interpretation of media influence, while biased optimistic perceptions are a social psychological mechanism of bolstering self-esteem in self-other comparisons regarding a risk.

Key Words: third-person e fects • optimistic bias • bird flu news • news attention • news elaboration

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Communication Research, Vol. 34, No. 6, 665-684 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0093650207307903
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This Article
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