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Dissertation_Wallace 5.6.2019.pdf (1.8 MB)

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Distinguishing perceptions of bias from perceptions of untrustworthiness: Independent perceptions with shared as well as unshared consequences and antecedents

Wallace, Laura Emily
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2298-7569
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557140210683552

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Although anecdotally it is quite common to perceive other people as biased, social psychologists have not included bias as a fundamental person perception. The current work conceptually clarifies what it means to perceive another as biased – that they have a skewed perception (Studies 1, 2a, and 2b). It also separates perceptions of bias from untrustworthiness (dishonesty). Further, it highlights that bias may have been overlooked because source vested interest can lead to perceptions of both bias and untrustworthiness (Study 3). Consistent with the notion that bias is skewed perception, several studies examine whether people can infer bias based on the sidedness of a message that a source provides (Studies 4-7). These effects seem to be relatively unique to bias, and depend on the nature of the topic at hand. Finally, I explore consequences of perceiving a source as biased. Source bias has independent negative influences on source credibility (Studies 8-10), suggesting that bias should be included among trustworthiness and expertise as a pillar of source credibility. This negative influence on credibility ultimately reduces the persuasive impact of biased sources (Studies 9a -10). In addition to having independent effects in the same direction as untrustworthiness, perceptions of bias can also have differing effects when the source switches positions (Studies 11-17). People tend to expect biased sources to be more consistent in their position taking than objective sources. However, they do not have this expectation for untrustworthy versus trustworthy sources. As such, people are more surprised when biased sources switch positions, and this can have a positive indirect effect on persuasion. The current studies highlight the importance of considering bias as an independent perception. Although my studies thus far have focused on the persuasion domain, the distinction between bias and untrustworthiness has important implications for other domains of psychology as well, including impression formation and intergroup relations.
Duane Wegener (Committee Chair)
Kentaro Fujita (Committee Member)
Richard Petty (Committee Member)
226 p.
Psychology
persuasion, bias, untrustworthiness, person perception, attitude change, surprise, message sidedness, vested interest, credibility

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wallace, L. E. (2019). Distinguishing perceptions of bias from perceptions of untrustworthiness: Independent perceptions with shared as well as unshared consequences and antecedents [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557140210683552

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wallace, Laura. Distinguishing perceptions of bias from perceptions of untrustworthiness: Independent perceptions with shared as well as unshared consequences and antecedents. 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557140210683552.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wallace, Laura. "Distinguishing perceptions of bias from perceptions of untrustworthiness: Independent perceptions with shared as well as unshared consequences and antecedents." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557140210683552

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1557140210683552
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.