The influence of presumed influence

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Gunter, A. C. & Storey, J. D. (2003) "The influence of presumed influence." Journal of Communication, June, pp 199-214.

Contents 1 Indirect effects model 2 "Influence of presumed influence" 3 Previous research 3.1 Third-person effect 3.2 Negative influence corollary 3.3 Persuasive press inference 4 Indirect effects in goal-oriented media campaigns 4.1 Nepal radio drama 4.2 Hypothesis 5 Questions

Indirect effects model

"People perceive some influence of a communication on others and, as a result, change their own attitudes or behaviors." (199)

"Influence of presumed influence"

• People perceive some effect of a message on others
• React to that perception (199)
• Reactions are based on anticipation of the influence of a message on others (200)
• Such reactions occur regardless of accuracy of the anticipation (200)
• Does not account for perceived effect on self (201)

Previous research

Third-person effect

Two-stage process

• People may systematically perceive greater influence of communications
• They may demonstrate attitudinal or behavioral reactions as a result of such perceptions (200)

Negative influence corollary

Third-person effect only appears for messages with "apparently undesirable consequences" (200)

• Optimistic bias explanation: people feel they are smarter, more able to resist message than others
• Connects to support for censorship and other kinds of speech restriction

Persuasive press inference

• People attend to mass media and form impressions of the extent and slant of media content
• People assume that this content is representative of content more generally
• They also assume that it has a broad reach
• And they assume that media content influences the opinions and attitudes of others

Indirect effects in goal-oriented media campaigns

Exploring indirect effects within the context of a campaign.

• How do effects on unintended audiences contribute to the goal of a campaign?
• Could they be used to "enhance" goals? (203)

Nepal radio drama

• Attempt to remedy poor relationships among clients/workers in Nepalese health care
• Broadcast serial drama (203)
• Targeting health care workers with time and content
• Includes models of positive worker/client interaction

Hypothesis

• As client exposure increased, client perceptions of health worker exposure and influence would also increase
• Clients who perceive greater worker exposure/influence would demonstration more positive attitudes toward workers
• Clients who report more positive attitudes toward workers would report improved interpersonal interactions with workers in a recent clinic visit

Questions

• Why were perceptions of worker exposure and worker influence collapsed? (206)
  • Couldn't a client percieve that workers were exposed but not influenced?
  • Are these related in balance?
• How are the direct effect of the radio drama on client attitudes toward workers controlled?
• "Besides cultural factors" seems impossible
  • Drama was "designed" (208)
  • Is serial radio drama a popular format?
  • What language is spoken in the drama? Is it the most widely spoken among clients/workers?
  • How prominent is health work in the narrative? Is it ER? Or Grey's Anatomy?
  • What population of non-health workers can possibly listen to the show if it is broadcast during work hours?
• Need for over-time analysis
  • How do media representations of professionals lead to changes in self-identity, behavior in the workplace?