Third-Person Perception and Sexual Risk Taking Among Minority `At-Risk' Youth

Abstract

Fifteen years ago, Davison (1983) introduced the third-person effect hypothesis that individuals believe they are less influenced than others by media messages. Although third-person effect is a perceptual bias, Davison believed that individuals act on such misperceptions. Few studies have tested the behavioral aspect of the third-person effect. In addition, previous studies reporting differences in third-person effect due to message type (i.e. Public Service Announcements [PSAs] vs. advertisements) lacked controls to isolate the effects of message type from content and context. In this study, I sought to (a) document third-person effect among minority "at-risk" youth within the context of safer sex messages, (b) determine the differences in third-person effects (if any) between PSAs and advertisements with similar content, and (c) determine the link (if any) between third-person effect and risky sexual behaviors among youth. Findings indicate that third-person effect is an appropriate framework for understanding how at-risk youth perceive safer sex campaigns. I also extend the behavioral aspect of third-person hypothesis by linking it with sexual risk behaviors among at-risk youth. No difference in third-person effect was found as a result of different message types. Relevance of the current findings to the broader areas of health communication and message effects is discussed.