Communication Research recent issues

Assimilation and Contrast in a Test of the Hostile Media Effect

Gunther, A. C., Miller, N., Liebhart, J. L. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

Recent empirical research has vividly demonstrated the hostile media effect—the tendency for individuals highly involved in a controversial issue to see media coverage of that issue as hostile to their own point of view. This type of contrast bias—along with its assimilation counterpart—is hypothesized to stem from preexisting partisan attitudes coupled with other explanatory factors, including perceived reach of the message and characteristics of the source. To test these predictions, we recruited partisan respondents who were either Native American or sympathetic to native issues. Participants (N = 152) read information, varying in apparent circulation (low, medium and high reach) and source (friendly vs. not friendly) characteristics, on the issue of genetically modified wild rice, a controversial topic for native people in the upper Midwest. Variations in reach produced a linear trend in judgments of bias in the predicted direction. However, overall evaluations tended toward assimilation rather than contrast effects, and two distinct dimensions of partisanship produced surprising and provocative results.

Examining Reactance and Reactance Restoration With South Korean Adolescents: A Test of Psychological Reactance Within a Collectivist Culture

Quick, B. L., Kim, D. K. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

The purpose of this study is to extend the recent operationalization of reactance to a non-Western culture, namely, South Korea.The study uses structural equation modeling, and the findings reveal a significant positive association between controlling language and perceived threat to freedom. Consistent with extant research, a significant positive association emerged between a perceived freedom threat and reactance for South Korean adolescents. Findings from this study support treating reactance as a latent variable comprised of unfavorable cognitions and anger. In addition, in line with psychological reactance theory predictions, reactance arousal is significantly associated with a host of boomerang effects. Results are discussed with an emphasis on the role of psychology reactance theory among adolescents within a collectivist culture.

Don't Expect Too Much! Learning From Late-Night Comedy and Knowledge Item Difficulty

Baek, Y. M., Wojcieszak, M. E. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

The debate on late night comedy has been inconclusive, with some scholars arguing that this genre increases political knowledge, and others seeing late night comedy as harmful to effective citizenry. We add to the debate and to the research on media effects more generally, by proposing a model that measures political knowledge. The model utilizes item response theory (IRT) to account for individual characteristics, knowledge item difficulty, and response format that influences the likelihood of providing a correct response. Drawing on the 2004 National Annenberg Election Study, we employ this model to test knowledge gain from late night comedy. Using a meta-analysis across 35 political knowledge items, we show that late night comedy increases knowledge, but primarily on easy political items that have fewer correct response options, and mainly among the inattentive citizens. We discuss theoretical implications and provide practical suggestions for scholarship on media effects.

Transformational Leadership in Distributed Work Groups: The Moderating Role of Follower Regulatory Focus and Goal Orientation

Whitford, T., Moss, S. A. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

This study addressed the question of whether the benefits of transformational leadership extend to virtual environments. Furthermore, whether regulatory focus or goal orientation moderate the extent to which these benefits apply to virtual environments was also explored. A total of 165 employees completed a survey that assessed the leadership style of their supervisors as well their own regulatory focus, goal orientation, work engagement, and job satisfaction. When followers and leaders worked at different locations, visionary leadership was positively related to work attitudes, provided that promotion focus was sufficiently high or prevention focus was sufficiently low. Furthermore, when followers and leaders worked in the same location, personal recognition was positively associated with work engagement, especially if prevention focus or performance goal orientation was high. These findings align with the proposition, derived from construal level theory, that leadership advice and support in which only the essence needs to be extracted apply to virtual environments.

The Priming Effects of Avatars in Virtual Settings

Pena, J., Hancock, J. T., Merola, N. A. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

The study extends research on the Proteus effect by demonstrating that avatars can prime negative attitudes and cognition in desktop virtual settings. Experiment 1 shows that, after virtual group discussions, participants using black-cloaked avatars developed more aggressive intentions and attitudes but less group cohesion than those using white-cloaked avatars. In Experiment 2, individual participants using a Ku Klux Klan (KKK)-associated avatar created more aggressive Thematic Apperception Test stories in comparison to a control group. Participants using the KKK avatar also wrote less affiliative stories in comparison to those employing avatars dressed as doctors. Overall, the resulting pattern of activation of negative thoughts (i.e., aggression) coupled with the inhibition of inconsistent thoughts (i.e., cohesion, affiliation) is consistent with principles of current priming models and provides initial evidence for automatic cognitive priming in virtual settings.

The Effects of Confidence and Advisor Motives on Advice Utilization

Van Swol, L. M. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:41 PST

This article examined the premises of interpersonal deception theory (IDT) within an advice-giving context. Advisors with quality and persuasion goals provided advice concerning stock rankings to decision makers either primed or not primed to be suspicious of advisors’ motives. Two competing hypotheses were proposed. First, suspicious decision makers were predicted to accept less advice from all advisors and be no more likely to detect advisors’ motives than nonsuspicious decision makers. Second, suspicious decision makers were predicted to be better able to detect the motives of advisors and accept less advice from the advisor with the persuasive motive than nonsuspicious decision makers. The first hypothesis was supported. The persuasive advisor had significantly higher confidence than the quality advisor on the rankings used to give advice, although not on private rankings. Advisors’ confidence on these rankings fully mediated their influence on the decision maker.

Exploring the Association Between News Use and Social Capital: Evidence of Variance by Ethnicity and Medium

Beaudoin, C. E. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

The current study assesses the association between news use and social capital—and whether this association varies by ethnicity and medium. Ordinary least square regression analysis indicates that social capital is predicted by newspaper exposure, but not TV national news exposure or TV local news exposure. In addition, there are two significant interaction terms between the news exposure measures and ethnicity in predicting social capital. First, the association between newspaper exposure and social capital is more positive for Whites than Latinos. Second, the association between TV national news exposure and social capital is less positive for Whites than Blacks. Of four potential contributory factors, the most viable factor is communication culture. Specifically, the relative oral and literate traditions of American ethnic groups are most suitable for explaining how the association between news use and social capital varies by ethnicity and medium.

Psychological Predictors of Media Involvement: Solitude Experiences and the Need to Belong

Greenwood, D. N., Long, C. R. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

Does intense engagement with entertainment media programs and characters reflect a psychological need for companionship? The research findings to date have been equivocal. The present study investigates how parasocial interaction (PSI) with media characters and transportation into media programs are related to specific kinds of solitude experiences, as well as to the need to belong (NTB). Results of a questionnaire study (N = 301) show that solitude experienced as self-expansion (e.g., self-discovery), diversion (e.g., engaging in distracting activities), and Other orientation (e.g., loneliness) each contribute to increased PSI with favorite TV characters. Self-expansion and Other-oriented solitude each also predicts increased tendency to transport into media programs and identify with characters. Furthermore, Other-oriented solitude appears to account for the significant association between NTB and PSI. Results provide new evidence for both compensatory and complementary uses and gratifications of entertainment media.

Can Inoculation Withstand Multiple Attacks?: An Examination of the Effectiveness of the Inoculation Strategy Compared to the Supportive and Restoration Strategies

Ivanov, B., Pfau, M., Parker, K. A. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

This investigation introduced multiple competitive attacks in order to assess the effectiveness of inoculation treatments in protecting established attitudes in a natural setting. A four-phase experiment was conducted involving 433 participants. The results revealed that the effectiveness of refutational inoculation messages dissipated some in the face of an additional attack. Still, refutational inoculation messages proved to be more effective than supportive, restoration, and control (no message) conditions in protecting established attitudes in the face of multiple attacks. The content of an additional attack (the same as the first attack or different) did not affect the capacity of inoculation refutational messages to confer resistance to competitive attacks.

Intervention of Eating Disorder Symptomatology Using Educational Communication Messages

Park, S.-Y., McSweeney, J. H., Yun, G. W. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

This study explored an intervention of body image disturbance by employing short educational messages. A public service announcement (PSA) comprised of a realistic body image photo and a text emphasizing genetic diversity of body types improved young women’s body satisfaction, although it did not affect the size of ideal female-body norm. A variation of the PSA, an alignment ad, generated a similarly positive effect on body satisfaction. The alignment ad, in comparison to a control, also increased the size of ideal female-body norm. At the same time, these positive main effects were mostly due to the gains in body satisfaction and the size of ideal female-body norm by women whose body satisfaction was relatively undamaged to begin with. For women who were already suffering from low body satisfaction, the educational messages interacted with the predisposition to further deteriorate body satisfaction and the norm of ideal female body. Theoretical implications of these effects were discussed and practical suggestions were made for healthy body image advocates.

Media Use and Global Warming Perceptions: A Snapshot of the Reinforcing Spirals

Zhao, X. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

This study used the reinforcing spirals model to investigate the mutual influence between individuals’ media use and their global warming perceptions. Data from the science module of the 2006 General Social Survey were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results offered support for the reinforcing spirals model’s predictions. Media use mediated the effects of age, race, and education on perceived knowledge about global warming. Perceived knowledge and concern over global warming also predicted future information seeking about the polar regions.

Science TV News Exposure Predicts Science Beliefs: Real World Effects Among a National Sample

Hwang, Y., Southwell, B. G. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:26:50 PDT

The authors attempt here to address a dilemma faced in recent investigation of science and health communication effects: the difficulty of assessing exposure impact in situations beyond the laboratory. Based on social representation theory, we posit that TV news exposure, especially for stories framed as relevant to the everyday lives of individual audience members, can affect people’s beliefs about science and that such exposure also should interact with interpersonal conversation to jointly predict beliefs. To assess these relationships in a real world setting, we integrated market-level and individual-level data from a science TV news project funded by the National Science Foundation and employed multilevel modeling to predict beliefs about science. This move allowed us to combine information about TV Designated Market Areas with responses from a national Internet-based survey and permitted a model that included both market-level and individual-level variables. Results indicate both main effects and interaction effects. Presence of relevant science stories in a TV market, for example, positively predicted subsequent beliefs about the general accessibility of science among audience members in that market even after controlling for individual-level variables.

The Role of Racial Identity in Responses to Thin Media Ideals: Differences Between White and Black College Women

Fujioka, Y., Ryan, E., Agle, M., Legaspi, M., Toohey, R. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

A survey of 286 White and Black female college students examined the racial differences in perception of thin media images and its relation to personal importance of thinness and fear of fat. Consistent with the intergroup literature and social identity theory, this study demonstrated that Black women rated thin media images less desirable and endorsed thinness less strongly than their White counterparts. Perceived desirability of thin media images was related to greater personal endorsement of thinness among both White and Black women but related only to White women's, not to Black women's, fear of fat. Racial identity interacted with race in predicting personal endorsement of thinness, with the highest ratings among high White identifiers and the lowest ratings among high Black identifiers. It did not, however, interact with perceived desirability of thin media images in predicting fear of fat.

Did You See It Coming?: Effects of the Specificity and Efficiency of Goal Pursuit on the Accuracy and Onset of Goal Detection in Social Interaction

Palomares, N. A. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

To test aspects of a theoretical framework on goal detection in social interaction, an experiment examined dyadic initial interactions wherein one participant pursued a goal unbeknownst to another participant. The level of specificity and efficiency at which a pursuer sought a goal interacted to affect the accuracy of the detector's inference as well as the time of onset for that inference. Consistent with hypotheses, efficiency was unrelated to accuracy and negatively correlated with onset latency when pursuers had an abstract information-seeking goal, whereas efficiency was positively correlated with accuracy and onset latency when detecting a concrete (i.e., specific) information-seeking goal. Unexpectedly, efficiency was unrelated to accuracy and onset latency for a midlevel information-seeking goal. Other results focused on the role of individual differences (i.e., perspective-taking and suspicion in others' motives) and perceived communication competence in the goal detection process. A more controlled, second experiment that employed confederates generally replicated results.

An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of Irritations in Romantic Relationships

Theiss, J. A., Knobloch, L. K. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

This study examined actor and partner effects of relationship characteristics on people's appraisals of irritations. Dating partners (N = 135 dyads) reported on characteristics of their relationship once per week for 6 weeks. Results of the longitudinal study indicated that the severity of irritations was positively associated with one's own perceptions of relational uncertainty and interference from partners. In addition, a partner's relational uncertainty, severity of irritations, and directness of communication about irritations were positively associated with the severity of an actor's irritations after controlling for the actor's own perceptions of relationship characteristics. Our findings highlight the complex interdependence that exists between partners involved in courtship.

Women Are Sort of More Tentative Than Men, Aren't They?: How Men and Women Use Tentative Language Differently, Similarly, and Counterstereotypically as a Function of Gender Salience

Palomares, N. A. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

Based on self-categorization theory's explanation for gender-based language use, male and female participants sent e-mail on a masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral topic to an ostensible male or female recipient (i.e., intergroup or intragroup dyads). As predicted, the topic affected if and how men and women used tentative language differently: For masculine topics, traditional gender differences emerged (i.e., women were more tentative than men) in intergroup, but not intragroup, contexts; for feminine topics, differences were counterstereotypical (i.e., men were more tentative than women) in intergroup contexts only; and for a gender-neutral topic, no differences resulted in either intra- or intergroup contexts. Moreover, gender salience partially mediated these effects in intergroup interactions only: Topic affected tentative language through gender salience in the mixed-sex condition (i.e., a conditional indirect effect).

The Association Between Satisfaction and Commitment Differs Across Marital Couple Types

Givertz, M., Segrin, C., Hanzal, A. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

Research and theory indicate that satisfaction is a key determinant of commitment. Because some marriages are defined by a traditional ideology that anchors commitment in a value system rather than inherent rewards of the relationship, the association between satisfaction and commitment was expected to vary by couple type. Participants completed self-report measures of relational ideology, autonomy, communication, satisfaction, and several types of commitment. Results indicated that separate couples reported the lowest marital satisfaction and personal commitment of all the couple types. Separate couples also reported the lowest dedication commitment of all the couple types, whereas traditional couples reported the highest. The opposite pattern emerged for constraint commitment; separate couples reported the highest and traditional couples reported the lowest. Finally, actor—partner interdependence models revealed strong and positive associations between satisfaction and commitment for separate couples, as well as for wives in independent couples, but no such association among traditional couples.

Reciprocity and Dating: Explaining the Effects of Favor and Status on Compliance With a Date Request

Hendrickson, B., Goei, R. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:59:06 PDT

A robust finding in compliance-seeking message effects research is that providing an unsolicited favor to a target before making a direct request for compliance is more effective than a direct request alone. Explaining this effect, however, has proven a more elusive goal. Most existing studies either do not examine potential mediators of the favor-compliance relationship or restrict their focus to one or two potential mediators. In this study, the authors extend compliance research by testing five potential explanations for the favor-compliance relationship and examine the relationship in an untested context, a cross-sex date request. We also examine the impact of another important predictor of compliance, socioeconomic status (SES). Findings suggest that favor and SES interact to affect compliance with a date request and that the positive affective mechanisms of gratitude, liking, and physical attraction best explain these effects. Implications for understanding human reciprocal behavior and its explanatory mechanisms are discussed.

The Soul of a Polarized Democracy: Testing Theoretical Linkages Between Talk and Attitude Extremity During the 2004 Presidential Election

Binder, A. R., Dalrymple, K. E., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D. A. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:50 PDT

This study explores the relationships between discussion networks and the development of extreme attitudes toward stem cell research during the 2004 presidential election. The authors test competing theoretical models that address discrepancies in previous attitude polarization research—whether interpersonal discussion leads to attitude extremity or extremity leads to discussion, within the deliberating American public. Using data from a nationwide mail panel survey carried out between 2002 and 2005, the authors explore within-wave and between-wave causal paths, revealing patterns difficult to discern in cross-sectional survey or lab experimental designs. Our findings show that political talk plays a substantial role in shaping and polarizing attitudes on stem cell research, with discussion in networks composed of like-minded others leading directly to the development of extreme attitudes.

"Dark Areas of Ignorance" Revisited: Comparing International Affairs Knowledge in Switzerland and the United States

Iyengar, S., Hahn, K. S., Bonfadelli, H., Marr, M. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:51 PDT

This study tests the hypothesis that cross-national differences in public awareness of international affairs are attributable to differences in the supply of international news and citizens' demand for information. Simultaneously, the authors compared the level of news coverage accorded specific "target" subjects in major Swiss and U.S. news organizations and the level of attentiveness to news among Swiss and U.S. citizens. The authors' results revealed that Swiss media provided more hard international news than U.S. media, that Swiss citizens reported higher levels of news exposure, and that the Swiss were also considerably more informed than the Americans on questions of hard news. Using a multilevel model, the authors further demonstrate that the effects of news on knowledge are stronger in Switzerland and that the greater availability of international news has the effect of reducing the knowledge gap between more and less attentive Swiss.

The Influence of Presumed Media Influence on Strategic Voting

Cohen, J., Tsfati, Y. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:51 PDT

An increasingly influential line of research on media effects suggests that some of the effects of news media on society take place because people perceive media as influential. In this article, the authors test this notion, in the context of voting decisions. The authors propose that voters' perceptions regarding the influence of media will be related to their intention to vote strategically—that is, to vote for a party they favor less than their most preferred option. If news media are perceived to persuade other voters to switch their votes, it will more likely be necessary to switch one's vote to either conform to or counterbalance the effects of media on others. Two studies, utilizing three data sets, collected in the context of the Israeli Knesset elections of 2003 and 2006 using different measures of strategic voting were used to test the hypothesis that perceptions of media influence on others will relate to strategic voting. The hypothesis was confirmed in both studies.

The Impact of Political Discussion in a Democratizing Society: The Moderating Role of Disagreement and Support for Democracy

Lee, F. L. F. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:51 PDT

This study examines interpersonal political discussion in the context of a democratizing society, focusing specifically on its impact on political knowledge and awareness of the danger of majority tyranny. Moreover, following the argument that the normatively desirable impact of political discussion is likely to emerge or be stronger under specific conditions, this study treats disagreement and support for democratization as two moderators of discussion effects. Analysis of a representative survey (n = 800) conducted in Hong Kong shows that frequency of interpersonal political discussion relates positively to political knowledge. The relationship is stronger among people who experience more disagreement in discussion. Support for democracy does not moderate the impact of discussion on knowledge. But a three-way interaction effect is found on awareness of the danger of majority tyranny: Discussion leads to such awareness only among supporters of democracy who experience disagreement in discussion. This study thus both replicates and extends the findings in the existing, mostly U.S.based literature on the impact of political talk.

Issue Importance as a Moderator of Framing Effects

Lecheler, S., de Vreese, C., Slothuus, R. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:51 PDT

A growing amount of research is devoted to the question of which individual and contextual variables enhance, limit, or obliterate news framing effects. However, the fundamental question whether framing effects vary depending on the issue at stake has not been addressed. Based on two experimental studies (total N = 1,821), this article investigates the extent to which framing effects differ in magnitude as well as process, depending on how important an issue is. The studies show that a high-importance issue yields no effects and a low-importance issue large effects. This moderating function of issue importance operates both at the contextual and at the individual levels. The implications for future framing effects research are discussed.

Looking the Other Way: Selective Exposure to Attitude-Consistent and Counterattitudinal Political Information

Knobloch-Westerwick, S., Jingbo Meng, — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:53:51 PDT

An experiment with two computer-based sessions (complete data for 156 participants) examined selective exposure to attitude-consistent and counterattitudinal media messages. In the first session, participants indicated interest in politics and news, political attitudes, with four target issues embedded, along with attitude certainty and importance. Attitude accessibility data were derived from response latencies. In the second session, participants browsed an online opinion forum with eight texts about four issues, each with a pair of articles presenting opposing views. Selective exposure was unobtrusively recorded by software and coded as attitude-consistent and counterattitudinal based on individual participants' attitudes. Results show that attitude-consistent exposure dominated regardless of particular issue, with 36% more reading time. Higher habitual news use and attitude certainty both fostered attitude-consistent exposure. Selection of counterattitudinal articles was more likely among participants with greater interest in politics, conservative party preference, stronger party preference, more accessible attitudes, and higher attitude importance.