YouTube, Social Norms and Perceived Salience of Climate Change in the American Mind

Authors

James T. Spartz, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Leona Yi-Fan Su, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Robert J. Griffin, Marquette UniversityFollow
Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Sharon Dunwoody, University of Wisconsin - MadisonFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

6-2015

Publisher

Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Source Publication

Environmental Communication

Source ISSN

1752-4032

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1080/17524032.2015.1047887

Abstract

This online experiment explored how contextual information embedded in new media channels such as YouTube may serve as normative social cues to users. Specifically, we examined whether the number of views listed under a YouTube video about climate change would elicit inferences regarding how “others” feel about the climate issue and, consequently, might influence perceptions of issue salience. Participants in this experiment were exposed to a YouTube video about climate change using two experimental conditions, one providing a small number of views under the video and the second listing a large number of views. Results suggest that the “number of views” cue did, indeed, influence participant perceptions of the importance assigned by other Americans to the issue of climate change. Further, compared to low self-monitoring participants, high self-monitoring participants registered an increase in their own judgment of issue importance.

Comments

Accepted version. Environmental Communication, Vol. 11, No. 1 (February 2017). DOI. © 2017 Taylor & Francis (Routledge). Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Spartz, James T.; Su, Leona Yi-Fan; Griffin, Robert J.; Brossard, Dominique; and Dunwoody, Sharon, "YouTube, Social Norms and Perceived Salience of Climate Change in the American Mind" (2015). College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications. 407.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/comm_fac/407