Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

11-1996

Publisher

Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research

Source Publication

MAPOR Conference

Abstract

The present study contrasts experimental subjects’ reactions to and knowledge held as a result of exposure to news stories about hazards in the environment. Subjects (n=246) viewed six news stories created especially for the experiment. Three stories were of general interest to students (on effective time use, apartment hunting tips and a possible change in academic standards) and three stories were about hazards (a parasite in the campus water supply, an illness caused by chemically treated library books, and fluorescent lighting affecting grades). Results indicate that rates of learning about the characteristics of a hazard occurred at high levels when measured using close-ended or openended questions. In general, learning was uniform across experimental conditions and stories. However, in the case of close-ended knowledge about the magnitude of a hazard’s effects, risk characteristics such as outcome severity and risk level, and stylistic manipulations of the headline and personalization of the story interacted to produce differential rates of learning. Path analysis allowed comparisons of open-ended and close-ended knowledge measures as predictors of beliefs and behavioral intention. Partial support was found for hypothesized relationships between knowledge, efficacy and intended behavior. Results suggest that previous research may underestimate the overall influence of knowledge on one’s intention to act

Comments

Author version. "Learning from News Stories about Risk." Paper presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference Chicago, IL November 1996. Link ©1996 The Author. Used with permission.

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