When Distant Others Matter More: Perceived Effectiveness for Self and Other in the Child Abuse PSA Context

Abstract

Perceived effectiveness (PE) has been studied as an important antecedent of persuasion. But judgments of PE may vary its persuasive impact depending on whom people think about as message referents. This study explores PE judgment for both self and different others as well as their independent roles in the persuasion process. Theoretical rationales are drawn from the third-person effect and its contingent concepts regarding perceived media effects. A study was conducted among 355 participants who evaluated two child abuse prevention public service announcements (PSAs). They estimated that the average American parent judged the PSAs more favorably than their close peer or themselves. Structural equation models indicate that self's and close-peer's PE judgment led to persuasion for one PSA (“Wonders”), while the target's PE judgment affected persuasion for another PSA (“Awareness”). These results suggest a potential moderating role of message characteristics in self–other PE judgments and their consequences.

Notes

*p < .05

**p < .01

***p < .001.

*p < .05

**p < .01

***p < .001.

1. Eta-squared was computed using the following formula (Keppel & Wickens, 2004; also see Levine & Hullett, 2002): Eta-squared = SSeffect/(SSeffect + SSerror).

2. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which they read one of three PSA synopses. Total sample size was 124: 42 for antismoking condition, 45 for physical activity condition, and 37 for child abuse prevention condition. Perceived exposure was measured with the question, “How often in the past 12 months do you think each of the following persons has encountered this kind of PSA?” (1 = never to 7 = very often). Perceived similarity was measured with the question item, “When you respond to the message, which of the following types of people do you think would respond most similar to you? (response options were your close friend, average student at the university, average student at other universities, average American parent, and average teenager). The results for the perceived exposure are based on repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) via GLM, with six target others as a within-subject factor and three message conditions as a between-subject factor. More detailed study procedures, message stimuli, and results are available upon request.