Factors Affecting the Marketing of a Public Safety Message: The Third-Person Effect and Uses and Gratifications Theory in Public Reaction to a Crime Reduction Program

Abstract

This research examines the third-person effect through the lens of the uses and gratifications paradigm. A telephone survey (n = 835) was used. This is the first study to examine the marketing of a public safety campaign in relation to third-person effect and uses and gratifications paradigm types. For the first time, it was found that habituated use has a significant linear relationship in predicting the third-person effect. While third-person effect research tends to focus on message content and consequences to society, the presence of a uses and gratifications paradigm link suggests a focus on people's use of the media is extremely important in understanding the third-person effect. In light of these findings, the author suggests researchers reexamine previous third-person effect studies through the lens of uses and gratifications in order to determine if uses and gratifications types may have been the root cause of some of the findings in previous studies.