Nhung Nguyen

Key scholars

• W. Phillips Davison
• A.C. Gunther
• V. Price
• J. Cohen

Seminal reading(s)

• S.M. Jang, J.K. Kim, Third person effects of fake news: fake news regulation and media literacy interventions Comput. Hum. Behav. (2018)
• Gunther, A.C. (1991). What we think others think: Cause and consequence in the third-person effect. Communication Research, 18(3), 355-372.
• Cohen, J., Mutz, D., Price, V., & Gunther, A. (1988). Perceived impact of defamation: An experiment on third-person effects. Public Opinion Quarterly, 52(2). 161-173.
• Price, V., Huang, L.N., & Tewksbury, D. (1997) Third-person effects of news coverage: Orientations toward media. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(3), 525-540.

Key concepts

• Influence
• “Them”
• Prediction
• Pluralistic ignorance
• Social Distance
• Perceived Knowledge
• Cognitive Distance
• Media Exposure

Main premises

The third-person effect is an assumption by a reader or consumer of media that the impact of media will have a greater influence over others than themselves. According to this theory, which is heavily used in political reporting or political research, assumes that voters will believe stories in the news will have a larger effect on other voters, while the effect on themselves will be minimal. The practice of this effect is often used by propagandists and totalitarian regimes, who will speak directly to one audience while trying to influence another. For example, telling Friend A you are upset with Friend B, full-well knowing Friend A will tell Friend B.

Another element to this study is that messages in news stories or advertisements are viewed through a different lens by others than our own. Quotes or figures read by those on the “opposite” side of a viewpoint will see those quotes and figures in the “incorrect” way, which leads to a conflation that the media is somehow biased. The research shows, though, that even if a story shows both sides of an argument, each side will believe the story is biased based on the inclusion of the other side’s argument in the story.

The basis is the belief that people will overestimate the influence mass communication has on others and underestimate the effects it will have on them.  Find people will avoid sharing information out of fear that others do not share the same view.  Has some relation to the Spiral of Silence theory in that one side of an argument may not express their opinion openly leading the other side to express their opinion more and more with confidence. Reactionary response to information. 

Relation to today:

Example from the text: When it is heard that there is a shortage of goods they will rush to stores to stock up before hoarders remove all the goods. 

 Common methods

• Survey
• Observation
• Interviews
• Experiments

Limitations

• Within the qualitative research, those interviewed admitted they were “duped” or affected by propaganda that’s come out.
• Also within qualitative research, having those who are being dishonest in order to have an impact admitting they were being dishonest on purpose to have impact.

Developments

The theory has its basis in the study of the psychological effects of propaganda dating back to Davison’s study of the use of propaganda leaflets by Japanese soldiers at Iwo Jima during World War II.  A unit of African American soldiers with white officers was pulled from the battlefield when leaflets were dropped telling them their war was with the white men.  Commanders pulled them from the field perceiving they would negatively react to the information.

Now, this theory typically looks at censorship and propaganda related to news and politics.  Researchers tend to focus on how censorship and the use of propaganda can sway public opinion.  The focus tends to be on attitudes toward censorship.

With the influx of social media and fake news, the theory is also looked at as misinformation’s impact — or perceived impact — on elections, public opinion and beyond.

 Typical research questions

• Does (something the President does/says) have any influence on the way you will vote in November? How much influence will (something the President does/says) have on the upcoming election?
• How does mass media affect someone else?
• How does mass media affect oneself?
• Why do you think other people would think that way?

*This is the series of theories from KU’s Jour801 Course- Communication Theories