Presumed Media Influence Research Articles

Technological optimism surpasses fear of missing out: A multigroup analysis of presumed media influence on generative AI technology adoption across varying levels of technological optimism

Drawing upon the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI) model, this study investigates indirect media effects on individuals' intentions to adopt generative AI technology, with a further examination of how variations in technological optimism impact the relationships within the IPMI model. Findings from a national survey of 1061 respondents confirmed the existence of presumed media influence in the context of generative AI technology, as individuals’ attention to generative AI technology related media content influenced their presumptions about how others use it, subsequently affecting their adoption intentions through social norm perception, attitude change, and the fear of missing out. Furthermore, a multigroup comparison uncovers divergent presumed media effects on generative AI technology adoption between subgroups characterized by their differing levels of technological optimism, in which high technological optimism was found to trump fear of missing out in driving its adoption.

Examining public perceptions of cultivated meat in Singapore: food neophobia and neophilia as precursors to the influence of presumed media influence model

ABSTRACT This study examines how individuals’ prior beliefs (i.e. food neophilia and food neophobia) serve as precursors to the influence of the presumed media influence model in shaping their perceptions of cultivated meat. An online survey of 1031 Singapore residents revealed that food neophobia and food neophilia are positively related to individuals’ media attention to risk and benefit messages about cultivated meat, respectively. Furthermore, individuals’ media attention to these risk and benefit messages about cultivated meat was positively related to their presumed influence of such messages on others, which subsequently affected their own attitudes and perceived social norms regarding the consumption of cultivated meat. Lastly, individuals’ own attitudes and perceived social norms were found to be positively associated with their intentions to consume cultivated meat. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Examining Muslims’ Opinions Toward Cultured Meat in Singapore: The Influence of Presumed Media Influence and Halal Consciousness

This study examines how halal consciousness acts as a precursor to the influence of presumed media influence model to explain Muslims’ views (i.e., attitudes and behavioral intentions) toward cultured meat. A survey of 658 Muslim Singaporeans found that halal consciousness positively correlated with Muslims’ attention to media messages on the benefits of cultured meat, which subsequently shaped their presumed attention to these messages by family members, friends, and social media influencers. Presumed attention from family members and social media influencers was positively associated with Muslims’ attitudes toward cultured meat and subsequently their consumption intentions. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Public buying behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: the influence of attitude and perceived social norms from a presumed media influence perspective

Episodes of mass buying occurred in many parts of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This study applied the influence of presumed media influence model (IPMI) model to examine the development of intention to make more purchases during the pandemic in Singapore. The results, which were based on a sample of 1,007 Singaporeans, showed that presumption of media influence on others positively predicted intention to make more purchases, through attitude toward making more purchases and perceived subjective norms of making more purchases. These psychological and behavioral outcomes were associated with people's attention to media content that reflected the mass-buying episodes in Singapore and the government's attempt at assuring citizens that the country maintains an ample supply of goods during the pandemic. The positive associations in the IPMI model lend a media and communication perspective to explain the common proposition that consumers reacted to the social norms of making more purchases during the pandemic. The theoretical implications for future IPMI studies and practical implications for key stakeholders are discussed.

Predicting Fact-Checking Health Information Before Sharing Among People with Different Levels of Altruism: Based on the Influence of Presumed Media Influence.

Pervasive health misinformation on social media affects people's health. Fact-checking health information before it is shared is an altruistic behavior that effectively addresses health misinformation on social media. Based on the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI), this study serves two purposes: The first is to investigate factors that influence social media users' decisions to fact-check health information before sharing it in accordance with the IPMI model. The second is to explore different predictive powers of the IPMI model for individuals with different levels of altruism. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 1045 Chinese adults. Participants were divided into either a low-altruism group (n = 545) or a high-altruism group (n = 500) at the median value of altruism. A multigroup analysis was conducted with R Lavaan package (Version 0.6-15). All of the hypotheses were supported, which confirms the applicability of the IPMI model in the context of fact-checking health information on social media before sharing. Notably, the IPMI model yielded different results for the low- and high-altruism groups. This study confirmed the IPMI model can be employed in the context of fact-checking health information. Paying attention to health misinformation can indirectly affect an individual's intention to fact-check health information before they share it on social media. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the IPMI model's varying predictive powers for individuals with different altruism levels and recommended specific strategies health-promotion officials can take to encourage others to fact-check health information.

Integrating Interpersonal Communication into the Influence of Presumed Media Influence Model: Understanding Intentions to Censor and Correct COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media

ABSTRACT We extended the influence of presumed media influence model by taking interpersonal communication into account. Our survey (N = 642) results revealed that individuals’ attention to COVID-19 information on social media and their engagement in interpersonal communication about the disease independently and jointly affected presumed others’ attention. The more that individuals engaged in interpersonal communication, the less that their attention to mediated content factored into how they perceived others’ attention to such content. Presumed others’ attention, in turn, was positively associated with presuming that others were influenced by COVID-19 misinformation and the intention to correct, but not censor, misinformation.

Understanding Public Willingness to Pay More for Plant-based Meat: Environmental and Health Consciousness as Precursors to the Influence of Presumed Media Influence Model

Expanding upon the Influence of Presumed Media Influence (IPMI) model, our study investigates prior beliefs as precursors to the IPMI model in predicting individuals’ willingness to pay more for plant-based meat. Our survey of 1,008 adult Singaporeans revealed that attention to benefit media messages on plant-based meat was positively associated with presumed others’ attention. This subsequently predicted attitudes and perceived social norms of paying more for the product which, except for descriptive norms, in turn predicted individuals’ willingness to pay more. More importantly, we found that prior beliefs – namely environmental and health consciousness – were predictive of attention to media messages on plant-based meat, indicating selective exposure to media messages. Theoretically, our findings highlight the importance of pre-existing beliefs on the IPMI model. Practically, recommendations for key stakeholders on how to enhance individuals’ willingness to pay more for the product were discussed.

How does media attention affect parental response behaviors to telecommunication fraud?: Based on the influence of presumed media influence model

How does media attention affect parental response behaviors to telecommunication fraud?: Based on the influence of presumed media influence model

The substituting relationship between presumed media influence and interpersonal health communication for health prevention

ABSTRACT Background Based on the influence of presumed influence hypothesis (IPI hypothesis), this study elaborates the processes through which people’s perception of the effect of health media messages on others affects their own intention to engage in health behaviors. This study also examines how interpersonal health communication interacts with presumed media influence on intentions for HIV testing and fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods Data were collected using a self-administrated online survey with college students (N = 235) in a large Midwestern university in the United States. Results The results support the IPI hypothesis that one’s exposure to media content promoting health behaviors predicts their perceptions of the media’s influence on other people, which in turn affects their own intention to engage in the health behaviors. The findings also indicate that there is a substituting relationship between perception of media influence and interpersonal health communication. The effect of presumed media influence was greater for people who were less likely to talk about the health issues, but presumed media influence had no significant effect on intentions for those who frequently engaged in interpersonal health communication. Conclusion This study provides a novel finding that perceived influence of health media messages on others and interpersonal health communication are substituting each other in affecting intention for health behaviors. Promoting perception of media influence can affect normative perception and behavioral intention for people who less frequently discuss health issues with others.

Testing Classical Predictors of Public Willingness to Censor on the Desire to Block Fake News Online

This study examined media use and attitudinal predictors of public willingness to censor fake online political news among representative samples in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia (total N = 2880). The study utilized research on the corrective action hypothesis (CAH) and the theory of presumed media influence (TPMI) as frameworks. The CAH holds that an individual’s belief that media are hostile and influential increases the likelihood that the individual will participate in public discourse urging countermeasures. TPMI maintains that the belief that media are influential is associated with attitudes about media, though those attitudes need not be negative. Perceived exposure to fake news online positively predicted willingness to censor fake news in all countries, aligning with some prior research on both the CAH and the TPMI. Facebook use was negatively associated with willingness to censor fake news in two of the countries, while trust in news media was a positive correlate in two countries. Implications for research on both willingness to censor and on fake news are discussed.

When Others’ Reactions to News Media Messages are Visible: The Influence of News User Comments on Presumed Media Influence

ABSTRACT The presumed media influence framework (IPI) theorizes how mass media influence perceptions and behaviors. The present study uses an online experiment to test the hypotheses deriving from the IPI in the context of interactive news websites. We manipulated the congruency and incongruency between the e-cigarette use prevalence information provided in the news stories and information emanated from user-generated comments to examine how exposure to such congruency and incongruency would extend our understanding of the IPI. Results show that compared to participants reading low prevalence news only, those who read low prevalence news and low prevalence comments perceive significantly higher presumed media influence. Results also reveal that compared to participants reading high prevalence news only, those who read high prevalence news and low prevalence comments perceive significantly lower presumed media influence, which in turn decreases intentions to use e-cigarettes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Corrective Actions in the Information Disorder. The Role of Presumed Media Influence and Hostile Media Perceptions for the Countering of Distorted User-Generated Content

ABSTRACT In recent times, distorted information has frequently been discussed as a serious problem for democracies. There are concerns that such information spreading via social media may lead to severe effects, such as a decline in social cohesion. Apart from platforms and journalistic organizations, users play a decisive role in preventing the spread of distorted information by flagging, reporting or countering. The current study contributes to the literature by providing new insights into users’ motivations for engaging in this important task. Building on literature on biased perceptions and presumed influences, and using a German random-quota survey (N = 2,973) we showed that the countering of distorted information is influenced by hostile media perceptions and the presumed influence on the individual but not by perceived influences on others. If users experience personal attacks online and perceive user-generated content as important for their own opinion formation, they are more likely to become active in fighting distorted information.

Let’s nab fake science news: Predicting scientists’ support for interventions using the influence of presumed media influence model

Fake science news is a type of fake news that can threaten the credibility of the scientific community. Scientists’ attention to fake science news can indirectly influence the way they react to tackling fake science news through socio-psychological factors. Applying the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI), this study examines how scientists’ attention to fake science news indirectly influences their support for initiatives to tackle fake science news through presumed harm of fake science news on other scientists and the general public, as well as their attitude and personal norm towards tackling fake science news. Specifically, this study explicates the behavioural outcome into support for education and support for legislation against fake science news. The results from a survey of 706 Singapore-based scientists supported the relationships posited in the IPMI. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Past Debates, Fresh Impact on Nano-Enabled Food: A Multigroup Comparison of Presumed Media Influence Model Based on Spillover Effects of Attitude Toward Genetically Modified Food

AbstractInformed by the notion of spillover effects between two phenomena, this study examines how differences in prior attitudes would influence the relationships posited by the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI) model. Specifically, this study examines how pre-existing favorable and unfavorable attitudes toward genetically modified (GM) food are associated with audiences’ intention to consume nano-enabled food. The results of a nationally representative survey with 1,000 respondents found general support for the IPMI from media attention to behavioral intentions, through attitude and social norms. Further, a multigroup analysis of the IPMI provided evidence for differences in the IPMI effects between the audiences with favorable and unfavorable pre-existing attitudes toward GM food. These results contribute to a stronger theoretical understanding of the IPMI in terms of how pre-existing attitudes toward a preceding food technology can have a spillover effect on how audiences make decisions regarding a newer food technology.

Information source dependence, presumed media influence, risk knowledge, and vaccination intention

ABSTRACT Adults aged 18–29 have the lowest vaccination rates in the United States, which include the college student segment. Even though influenza can spread quickly on a college campus and its adjacent communities, only 8–39% of college students receive vaccination annually. This study assesses the influence of media exposure, knowledge, and perceptual factors on college students to gain a better understanding of how they respond to flu-related risk communication. Results from conducting an online survey of undergraduate students (N= 515) show that the more they depended on social media for risk information, the more likely they intend to seek vaccination. Presumed media influence of online-news and social media dependence on others was each a significant predictor of perceived others’ vaccination intention, which in turn had a direct effect on an individual’s own vaccination intention. Those that were more knowledgeable about the virus also reported a lower intention to receive vaccination. Implications for future research and risk information dissemination were discussed.

Influence of Presumed Media Influence for Health Prevention: How Mass Media Indirectly Promote Health Prevention Behaviors through Descriptive Norms

ABSTRACT According to the influence of presumed influence (IPI) hypothesis, people’s presumption of media effects tend to impact their willingness to engage in unhealthy behaviors (e.g., smoking) by shaping the normative perception of such behaviors. By applying the IPI hypothesis to media content for health promotion, this study explores how presumed media influence promotes health prevention behaviors in college students. Moreover, this study adopts three health behaviors to test the IPI processing mechanisms across different types of prevention behaviors (i.e., ambiguity and privacy). The results show that one’s perceived influence of health promotion media content on others promotes one’s own intentions to engage in healthy behaviors of safe sex, diet and nutrition, and skin cancer prevention. The findings also indicate that descriptive norms play various roles depending on the types of behavior. We discuss the IPI hypothesis as a persuasive strategy for health campaigns using mass media.

Does Gender Matter? Testing the Influence of Presumed Media Influence on Young People’s Attitudes toward Cosmetic Surgery

The present study examined gender differences in young people’s attitudes toward cosmetic surgery as well as the joint effects of media and peers on their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. A survey of 555 university students in Singapore showed that young people of both sexes generally held positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. We observed no significant gender disparities in their acceptance of cosmetic surgery or intention to undergo cosmetic surgery. We tested the influence of the presumed media influence model, and our findings supported direct and indirect models of media influence on young people’s attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. The indirect model was mediated by perceived influence of cosmetic surgery-related media on peers. We also found that men were more susceptible to the influence of presumed media influence than women were. Practice implications of our study for educators include open discussions regarding cosmetic surgery and the influence of media and peers among young people, as well as differentiating intervention programs for emerging adult women and men.

The Effects of Media Effects

Prior research in the third-person effects domain has shown that people who believe in harmful media effects are more willing to engage in preventive or accommodative strategies, such as censorship. This research extends that supposition by testing a thus-far unstudied strategy: negative evaluations of media companies. Results show that an overall belief in harmful media effects is connected to negative evaluations of the media companies potentially responsible for those effects. The third-person perceptual gap is not related to these negative evaluations of media companies, suggesting important differences between third-person effects research and influence of presumed media influence research.

For Fit’s Sake: A Norms-Based Approach to Healthy Behaviors Through Influence of Presumed Media Influence

ABSTRACTBased on the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI) model as the theoretical framework, this study examines how injunctive norms and personal norms mediate the influence of healthy lifestyle media messages on public intentions to engage in two types of healthy lifestyle behaviors—physical activity and healthy diet. Nationally representative data collected from 1,055 adults in Singapore demonstrate partial support for the key hypotheses that make up the extended IPMI model, highlighting the importance of a norms-based approach in health communication. Our results indicate that perceived media influence on others indirectly shaped public intentions to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors through personal norms and attitude, providing partial theoretical support for the extended IPMI model. Practical implications for health communicators in designing health campaigns media messages to motivate the public to engage in healthy lifestyle are discussed.

Do Presumed Online Media Effects Have an Influence on the Online Activities of Politicians?

According to theoretical approaches, such as the influence of presumed media influence approach, individuals’ attitudes and behaviors are affected by the influences they believe the media has on others. Politicians, for example, are thought to perform media relations activities because they ascribe great importance to the media. This has been tested regarding politicians’ online activities using data from two surveys of members of Germany's national parliament, the Bundestag (nt1/t2 = 194/149). It was hypothesized that parliamentarians use Facebook and Twitter more extensively when they believe that these social media tools have a strong political influence on the public, journalists, and other politicians. However, the results indicate that parliamentarians use Facebook and Twitter regardless of whether they expect it to have an impact on other people. Therefore, politicians’ online activities are determined by other reasons and not such strategic motives. Thus, although (or precisely because) the hypotheses are rejected, the findings are an important contribution to the research on politicians’ motives for online communication.