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Reducing Attitude Extremity and Perceived Understanding Through Message Exposure: An Integration of Message Sidedness and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth

Schutz, Emily Nicole
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557143410907359

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Communication.
Based on persuasion literature on message sidedness (Hovland, Lumsdaine, & Sheffield, 1949) and social psychology literature on the Illusion of Explanatory Depth (IOED; Rozenblit & Keil, 2002), this study examines the relationships between message sidedness and the IOED on attitude extremity and perceived understanding. Accountability for interpreting information accurately has shifted from the message producer to the message consumer (Westerman, Spence, & Van Der Heide, 2014). Studies show, however, that message consumers tend to selectively expose themselves to attitudinally congruent information which reaffirms their existing beliefs and leads to polarizing message effects (Taber & Lodge, 2006). This investigation looked at the potential for accountability to be placed back on the message producer by studying how specific message structures could help to alleviate polarizing message effects at the source before ever reaching the message consumer. An experiment (N = 273) was conducted that randomly assigned participants to a message sidedness condition (one-sided vs. refutational two-sided vs. two-sided non-refutational) and an IOED manipulation (IOED vs. No-IOED) to determine if message sidedness and the IOED, when considered together, could affect attitude extremity and perceived understanding post-exposure. Results found that message sidedness alone affects perceived understanding, as well as when interacting with the IOED. No results were found indicating that message sidedness and or the IOED significantly affect attitude extremity, however, future research could explore the relationship with stronger manipulations of a different topic.
Hillary Shulman (Advisor)
31 p.
Communication
message sidedness, illusion of explanatory depth

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Schutz, E. N. (2019). Reducing Attitude Extremity and Perceived Understanding Through Message Exposure: An Integration of Message Sidedness and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557143410907359

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Schutz, Emily. Reducing Attitude Extremity and Perceived Understanding Through Message Exposure: An Integration of Message Sidedness and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth . 2019. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557143410907359.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Schutz, Emily. "Reducing Attitude Extremity and Perceived Understanding Through Message Exposure: An Integration of Message Sidedness and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1557143410907359

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1557143410907359
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.