Showing papers on "Credibility published in 1978"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the circumstances in which high credibility either facilitates, inhibits, or has no effect on the communicator's persuasiveness in relation to a less credible source.
Abstract: Two experiments are reported identifying the circumstances in which high credibility either facilitates, inhibits, or has no effect on the communicator's persuasiveness in relation to a less credible source. These data provide support for the cognitive response view of information processing and suggest the importance of message recipient's initial opinion as a determinant of persuasion.
501 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the interactive effects of source credibility and other variables which affect the communication process are reviewed, and the extent to which these data are ordered by cognitive response and attribution theories is examined.
Abstract: The interactive effects of source credibility and other variables which affect the communication process are reviewed, and the extent to which these data are ordered by cognitive response and attribution theories is examined. On the basis of this review (1) situations where a credible source facilities, inhibits, and has no systematic persuasive effect are identified; (2) the explanatory power of cognitive response and attribution theory is demonstrated; and (3) a common language linking these theoretical formulations is advanced, providing a framework for investigating the persuasive mass communication process.
385 citations
158 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a courtroom simulation technique was employed to examine the effects of a communicator's looking behavior on observers' perceptions of his credibility, and the results indicated that witnesses who averted their gaze were perceived to be less credible and, ultimately, the defendant for whom they testified was judged as more likely to be guilty.
Abstract: A courtroom simulation technique was employed to examine the effects of a communicator's looking behavior on observers' perceptions of his credibility. Half of the subjects heard testimony presented on behalf of a defendent by a witness (one of three confederates) who was visually presented as either looking directly toward the target of his communication (gaze maintenance) or slightly downward (gaze aversion) while testifying. The other half of the subjects merely heard the audio portion of the testimony. The results indicated that witnesses who averted their gaze were perceived to be less credible and, ultimately, the defendant for whom they testified was judged as more likely to be guilty. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for research concerned with the communicative effects of visual behavior.
89 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relative effectiveness of three influence strategies in gaining acceptance of a new service advocated by either a high or low credibility source was determined. Although the influence strategie...
Abstract: The relative effectiveness of three influence strategies in gaining acceptance of a new service advocated by either a high or low credibility source was determined. Although the influence strategie...
86 citations
TL;DR: A faculty of psychologists is much more skeptical regarding the existence of ESP than beginning psychology students as discussed by the authors. The students, however, are unaware of this discrepancy and do not understand the cultural and psychological factors that encourage such beliefs.
Abstract: A faculty of psychologists is much more skeptical regarding the existence of ESP than beginning psychology students. The students, however, are unaware of this discrepancy. The greater acceptance of ESP by the students is due to cultural and psychological factors which encourage such beliefs. The skepticism of academic psychologists arises because the evidence for ESP has failed to meet generally accepted scientific standards. Among these are (1) a replicable experiment, (2) the elimination of more plausible explanations, (3) isolation of an independent variable, (4) a coherent theory, and (5) practical applications. Much of the research in ESP may be criticized because of the lack of accurate reporting, improper design, and inadequate controls. In view of these considerations behavioral scientists should make a public disavowal of belief in ESP.
67 citations
TL;DR: It was found that use of jargon and data were related to Ratings of difficulty and technicality, but not to ratings of the evaluator or to agreement with theevaluator.
Abstract: Communication theory suggests that the effectiveness of a communication is related to who says what, how, and to whom. This study, using a communication theory paradigm, examined the impact of diff...
63 citations
TL;DR: A three-yeax study showed more women experts selling products for women but still backed up by the "known quantity" of an authoritative male authority over women as mentioned in this paper, but still supported by the same men.
Abstract: Three-yeax study shows more women experts selling products for women but still backed up by the “known quantity” of an authoritative male uoice-over.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the climate of corporate image advertising and cite specific steps that corporations may take to better inform the public while being socially responsive and responsible, while still being socially responsible.
Abstract: Many firms within the American business community have turned to "corporate image advertising" to improve their public credibility and respect. This advocacy advertising takes many forms and is often intended to counteract negative reports about business in the media. The author discusses the climate of corporate image advertising and cites specific steps that corporations may take to better inform the public while being socially responsive and responsible.
56 citations
TL;DR: A number of studies have explored the effects of source credibility in relation to the persuasive effects of the message as mentioned in this paper, and the basic assumption of studying source credibility is that the credibility of a source influences the effects the message it presents, since Aristotle suggested that ethos plays a role in the persuasion.
Abstract: t As m o r p e o p l e use the mass media as their main sources of information, the media must maintain the credibility of what they present to the public. The basic assumptionof studying source credibility is that the credibility of a source influences the effects of the message it presents. Since Aristotle suggested that ethos plays a role in the persuasion, numerous studies have explored the effects of source credibility in relation to the persuasive effects of the message. Based on their summary of experimental research in ethos from 1921 to 1961, Andersen and Clevenger suggested that the source credibility is related in some ways to the impact of the message.' Hovland et. a/. also suggested that \"the impact of a message probably depends also upon the particular publication or channel (as a source) through which i t is transmitted.\"2 Following the Roper Organization national survey in 1961, which suggested television's lead in believability over other media, a number of researchers studied the credibility dimensions of news media. Tebbel discussed this issue and suggested several points of TV news advantage in believability.3 Carter and Greenberg reported reasons why people believe a specific medium in case of conflicting reports.4
55 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a multiplicative discounting was obtained as a function of the credibility of the information sources and a form of "conservatism" was obtained; regardless of the source and the content of the message, the amount of revision decreased from the first to the second to the third revision.
TL;DR: This article found that the perception of pro-social reality on TV on TV improvedprediction of children's social behavior, and that children's perception of social reality improved their social behavior.
Abstract: Perception of pro-social reality on TV improvedprediction of children's social behavior.
TL;DR: In this article, field-experimental data presented by the authors demonstrate a very noticeable impact on students' attitudes regarding civil liberties, particularly when the interaction of the experimental treatment and student perceptions with regard to teacher credibility is considered.
Abstract: Recent writing on political socialization claims that the American secondary school is an ineffective “agent” of socialization. However, this is far from surprising given the avoidance of controversy in most high schools. A more interesting question is under what conditions can secondary curricula have an impact on students' political attitudes? Field-experimental data presented here demonstrate a very noticeable impact on students' attitudes regarding civil liberties. This is so particularly when the interaction of the experimental treatment and student perceptions with regard to teacher credibility is considered. Indeed, there is evidence to show how the school can help to fill a void in an area of attitude objects that generally are of low salience in adolescents' interactions with their parents and peers.
TL;DR: Burgoon et al. as discussed by the authors compared a conversational style (lower pitch, slower rate, lower volume, and less variation) to a dynamic style (more intense, varied, higher pitched and faster).
Abstract: ,That the voice is a powerful tool has long been an accepted tenet among communication theorists, mass media professionals and educators alike. The television newscaster works to present a pleasant, believable vocal style and one that is distinct from that of the AM radiodisc jockey or the F M announcer. Implicit is the assumption that good delivery promotes such desired outcomes as higher credibility, better informationprocessing, more efficient learning and greater attitude change, and that a number of delivery styles may be effective, each suited to a different purpose. This widespread faith in the importance of delivery considerations, and specifically the use of the voice, is wellfounded, if the empirical evidence can be trusted. A number of investigations have found, for instance, that poor delivery hurts comprehension and impairs the success of an otherwise strong message while good delivery enhances both comprehension and attitude change.! One variable in particular that has received considerable attention is source credibility, probably in part because credibility is assumed to mediate such other communication processes as learning and persuasion. The research on vocal attributes and credibility has re* Judee K. Burgoon is a faculty member in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. peatedly established that the voice affects perceptions of a speaker's competence, character, dynamism (or extroversion) and sociability. Two such investigations looked a t a number of vocal elements in combination.2 They compared a \"conversational style\" (lower pitch, slower rate, lower volume, and less variation) to a \"dynamic style\" (more intense, varied, higher pitched and faster). The results revealed that the conversational style was rated as more trustworthy, honest. kind, warm, friendly and pleasant, while the dynamic style predictably was rated as more dynamic. Another investigation by Addington, which also looked at a number of vocal cues, found that faulty articulation, monotone pitch and unpleasant voice qualities (such as nasality, tenseness and throatiness) all contributed to decrements in credibility when compared to a normal voice; a fast rate was also perceived as more dynamic than a slow rate.] Two experiments by Brown, Strong and Rencher. which examined the variables of pitch level, pitch variety and rate, added further evidence of the
TL;DR: In this article, the judged usefulness and objectivity of a simulated evaluation report and client agreement with the report's recommendations were examined as functions of the evaluator's simulated professional background e.g., "researcher", "evaluator", or "art educator".
Abstract: The judged usefulness and objectivity of a simulated evaluation report and client agreement with the report’s recommendations were examined as functions of the evaluator’s simulated professional background e.g., “researcher,” “evaluator,” or “art educator” and the client’s organizational role status (teachers or administrators). The results suggest that source and audience characteristics influence client ratings of the evaluator but do not effect changes in agreement with the evaluator’s recommendations.
TL;DR: In this paper, women engaged in scientific work throughout much of the nineteenth century, but they remained on the periphery of the scientific community, and their efforts to participate in and be recognized by that community were cautious and sometimes circuitous.
Abstract: Women engaged in scientific work throughout much of the nineteenth century, but they remained on the periphery of the scientific community. Their efforts to participate in and be recognized by that community were cautious and sometimes circuitous, a product of the social and intellectual climate of the times. Disapproval of women considered "too learned" was only one aspect of Victorian notions about women which inhibited their participation. Socialization as helpmates and lack of independent credibility meant that many women assisted male researchers, and they rarely achieved recognition commensurate with their skills. Moreover, the scientific community itself, in its conscious effort to professionalize, to establish an international reputation, and to raise the status of American science, formed national specialized or honorary associations and established journals that were not receptive to women. As the scientific community became more professional, it limited the acceptance of all who presented themselves or were perceived as amateur-like.' Thus, women doing research and writing remained
TL;DR: This article examined the effect of defective evidence, evidence from questionable sources, and evidence not relevant to the issue discussed and found that the inclusion of faulty evidence retarded positive attitude change, particularly for a communicator with moderate initial credibility.
Abstract: Previous research on the probative power of evidence in persuasive communication has focused on the impact of high‐quality evidence. Results have indicated that inclusion of high‐quality evidence enhances the communicator's credibility and increases the impact of an initially low‐credibility communicator. This study examined the effect of defective evidence, evidence from questionable sources, and evidence not relevant to the issue discussed. Results indicated that inclusion of defective evidence retarded positive attitude change, particularly for a communicator with moderate initial credibility, and that inclusion of defective evidence led to significantly less positive perceptions of the communicator.
TL;DR: This article argued that compromise would allay the risk of war in the short run only at the cost of increasing it in the long run, and that no compromise would improve U.S. prestige and credibility.
Abstract: Decision makers in international crises seek to reconcile two values: on the one hand, avoiding the loss of prestige and credibility that capitulation would entail and, on the other, avoiding war. These values conflict with each other, in the sense that any policy designed to further one of them will jeopardize the other. Cognitive theory suggests that in ambiguous circumstances a decision maker will suppress uncomfortable value conflicts, conceptualizing his dilemma in such a way that the values appear to be consonant. President Kennedy's process of decision and rationalization in the Cuban missile crisis fits this pattern. He contended that compromise would allay the risk of war in the short run only at the cost of increasing it in the long run. Thus, he saw his policy of no compromise as furthering both the goal of maintaining U.S. prestige and credibility and the goal of avoiding war.
TL;DR: The premise of the paper is that the conversion of a planning system needs as much planning as the process being planned, hence, the short-hand title of “meta-planning.”
Abstract: Most of the published literature on planning is either prescriptive i.e., what ought to be the way planning is done, or descriptive i.e., how it is actually carried out. This paper addresses the problem of moving from a relatively ineffective planning process to one that meets the prescriptive characteristics it theoretically ought to contain. The premise of the paper is that the conversion of a planning system needs as much planning as the process being planned. Hence, the short-hand title of “meta-planning.” The argument is made for more research on meta-planning, some initial hypotheses are developed toward a theory of meta-planning, and an extensive case study is presented to show, the credibility of the hypotheses.
TL;DR: This paper tested the hypothesis that credibility criteria (scales) differ in their sensitivity to topic-situations and found that the scales differ significantly across the four topic situations, and that at least two scales were so close to a neutral rating that they might have been considered by judges irrelevant to credibility.
Abstract: This study tested the hypothesis that credibility criteria (scales) differ in their sensitivity to topic‐situations. Fifty‐one scales, including nine marker scales identified by previous research, were tested across four topic‐situations. Forty‐one of the scales, including seven of the nine marker scales, were found to differ significantly across the four topic‐situations. Of the ten scales that behaved consistently across topic‐situations, at least two were so close to a neutral rating that they might have been considered by judges irrelevant to credibility.
TL;DR: The results suggested that while sex is not a factor in credibility ratings, different treatment strategies do elicit varying degrees of confidence in terms of positive treatment expectances, and Scheffé's method of posttest comparisons revealed that satiation was least preferred, while the relaxation procedure was rated the highest in credibility.
Abstract: Assessed credibility of the rapid smoking procedure, covert sensitization a combined approach, satiation, and a relaxation technique in a group of 38 self-reported cigarette smokers. The results suggested that while sex is not a factor in credibility ratings, different treatment strategies do elicit varying degrees of confidence in terms of positive treatment expectances. Scheffe's method of posttest comparisons revealed that satiation was least preferred, while the relaxation procedure was rated the highest in credibility. The other aversive treatment strategies did not differ significantly from either the relaxation or satiation procedures. These findings are discussed as they relate to credibility as a nonspecific treatment variable that smoking researchers may effectively manipulate through a rating procedure in creating a more sound experimental design in attention-placebo control conditions.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that broadcast reform is most likely to be achieved through established organizations with credibility and political clout, such as broadcast broadcast reform organizations, which are more likely to have credibility and influence.
Abstract: Genuine broadcast reform is most likely to be achieved through established organizations with credibility and political clout.
TL;DR: This article examined the empirical credibility of the terms-of-trade effect on expenditure, using the expenditure equations of several large econometric models in terms of their formulation of real versus nominal variables.
TL;DR: The question of accuracy in the news media has been approached by researchers from two different directions as mentioned in this paper, the first and most direct approach has been attempts to determine ''real\" accuracy, growing out of Charnley's 1936 study, and the second, indirect approach grows out of the literature usually labeled as credibility studies.
Abstract: The vexing question of accuracy in the news media has been approached by researchers from two different directions. The first and most direct approach has been attempts to determine \"real\" accuracy, growing out of Charnley's 1936 study.' The typical approach has been t o ask news sources or people mentioned in news stories to judge the accuracy of the stories. Refinements have been worked on the system, with attempts to isolate occurrences of different sorts of errors, typified by Lawrence and Grey's study.2 and to isolate a relationship between source type and error type, as suggested by Scanlon.' The second, indirect approach grows out of the literature usually labeled as credibility studies. I t seems intuitively obvious that ascription of accuracy ought to vary as ascription of credibility, but there has been no direct approach to ascription of accuracy. Singletary's statement that credibility \"was found not to be a simple, welldifferentiated system of factors, but a highly complex and somewhat undifferentiated system of factors,\"4 and his representative factor statements, make it hard to draw a di-
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that more formality in social responsibility planning efforts is a concept which is extremely pertinent in today's conditions and argue that rewards will accrue to the organization that can move beyond aesthetic objectives and achieve operationality.
TL;DR: This article investigated the impact of a witness's testimony on a simulated juror's decision task as a function of the likableness of the witness and found that the credibility ratings of the witnesses were also affected by the opposing witness's description.
Abstract: Eighty undergraduate males and females participated in a 2 by 2 factorial design to investigate the impact of a witness’s testimony on a simulated juror’s decision task as a function of the likableness of the witness. It was hypothesized that: (1) ratings of the defendant’s guilt would be influenced by the characteristics of the witnesses, that is, the testimony of a likable witness would have more impact than the testimony of a dislikable witness; and (2) ratings of a witness’s credibility would be similarly affected-a likable witness would be believed more than a dislikable witness. Results indicated support for the hypotheses. An additional unexpected finding was that the credibility ratings of the witnesses were also affected by the opposing witness’s description. The results were mainly discussed in terms of a reinforcement model of evaluative responses, although some limitations were pointed out.
TL;DR: This paper used accentuation theory to predict differential effects of heckling on speaker credibility and attitude change depending on whether the audience identified with the heckler or the speaker, and found that when the audience identifies with a heckler, speaker credibility was attenuated and when the crowd identified with a speaker, attitude change was increased.
Abstract: Traditionally, heckling has been treated as merely a form of distraction. In this study, accentuation theory was used to predict differential effects of heckling on speaker credibility and attitude change depending on whether the audience identified with the heckler or the speaker. The results indicate that when the audience identifies with the heckler, speaker credibility and attitude change are attenuated. Furthermore, when the audience identifies with the speaker, speaker credibility and attitude change are increased. These findings support the accentuation formulation of heckling.