AN EXPERIMENT ON THIRD-PERSON EFFECTS
Jeremy M. Cohen, Diana C. Mutz, Vincent Price, Albert C. L. G. Günther · 2016
This paper explores the intersection of libel law and communication theory that occurs when libel juries assess the effect of a defamatory communication on others. The third- person hypothesis suggests that people often assume will be more affected by potentially persuasive communications than they are themselves. An experiment was conducted in which stu- dents were exposed to a variety of defamatory newspaper arti- cles. The results confirmed several predictions. First, readers estimated that would be more affected by defamatory mes- sages than the readers themselves would be. Second, this effect was magnified as the others became progressively more dis- tant from these readers. Third, when the defamation was attrib- uted to a negatively biased source the effect was also accen- tuated: readers themselves discounted the message, while assuming would be even more influenced. It is suggested that courtroom assessments of the effects of defamatory com- munications on may be influenced by such third-person perceptions.