Third-person Effect Research Articles

How life circumstances during public health crises affect people to share and correct misinformation: a perspective of the third-person effect.

Misinformation spreading on social media often parallels public crises, such as the outbreak of COVID-19, because people's behaviors regarding misinformation may be influenced by their typical life circumstances. With the increasing severity of living conditions, misinformation is believed to spread more widely, while corrective behaviors tend to decrease. Furthermore, social comparison also affects the perception of life circumstances and subsequent behaviors. Taking Shanghai's COVID-19 lockdown as an example, this study examined whether two representative factors-the duration of the lockdown and the satisfaction with relief measures-affected people's tendency to share and correct misinformation. By employing the third-person effect (TPE) theory, the underlying mechanisms of social comparison were also explored. An online survey was conducted in April 2022, when the Zero-COVID policy was implemented in Shanghai. In addition to questions about life circumstances, a third-person perception scale, a behaviors of sharing misinformation scale, and a behaviors of correcting misinformation scale were included in the survey. Finally, 7,962 valid responses were collected. It was found that both behaviors-sharing and correcting misinformation-were affected by life circumstances but in different ways. The evidence also supported the existence of third-person perception (TPP). It was observed that the relationship between satisfaction with relief measures and sharing behavior was mediated by Third-Person Perception. This study reveals that the proliferation of misinformation during crises is related to the deterioration of people's perception of life circumstances. Social comparison often plays a significant role, as was reflected by the TPE.

Perceptions and Concerns About Misinformation on Facebook in Canada, France, the US, and the UK

Abstract Across the globe, people are concerned about misinformation despite evidence suggesting actual exposure is limited and specific to subgroups. We examine the extent to which concerns about misinformation on Facebook are related to perceived exposure to misinformation on the platform (misinformation perceptions), political experiences on Facebook, and country context. Using survey data gathered in February 2021 in four countries (Canada, France, UK, and the US), we find a strong positive correlation between perceptions of and concerns about misinformation on Facebook. We explain that this concern about misinformation is rational in that it is rooted in personal experience of perceived exposure. Seeing political content and observing uncivil political discussions on Facebook also relate to concerns about misinformation. We explain heightened concerns about misinformation in terms of views about the virality of misinformation on Facebook as well as the presumed influence of misinformation on others (third-person effects), which makes misinformation a perceived threat to democracy and society. The observed relationships are supported in three of the four countries, but France tends to be an exception. Understanding citizens’ concerns about misinformation is important for understanding support for interventions, including platform regulation.

The Third-Person Effect and Islamic Religiosity: Perceptions of Moral and Non-Moral Issues on Social Networking Sites among IIUM Students

Third-Person Effect theory (TPE) postulates that audiences deny the media's direct impact on themselves but perceive the same media as having a larger impact on others. This study examines TPE and its relationship with Islamic religiosity in shaping perceptions of moral and non-moral issues on social networking sites (SNS) among students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Another objective of this study is to determine how students perceive the effect of moral and non-moral issues in SNS on themselves compared to others. This study employed a quantitative design, with 357 students from the IIUM serving as respondents. The findings indicate that participants perceive moral issues as affecting others more than themselves, which is consistent with TPE. However, non-moral issues are perceived as influencing both the self and others. The results also indicate that Islamic religiosity positively affects the perceived impact of moral issues on others and non-moral issues on oneself in SNS. The data were analyzed using SPSS, with paired t-tests comparing self versus others' perceptions of moral and non-moral issues on SNS. The findings confirm that students perceive moral issues as having a greater impact on others than on themselves, aligning with TPE. Conversely, non-moral issues are perceived as influencing both the self and others, demonstrating SPE. The study also reveals that Islamic religiosity positively influences the perceived effect of moral issues on others and non-moral issues on oneself in SNS.

How Government Actions Influence People’s Intentions to Share on Social Media During Shanghai’s Lockdown for COVID-19: A Third-Person Effect Perspective

During the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s “Zero-COVID” policy and strong government actions led to significant disruptions in daily life. Using Shanghai’s 2022 lockdown as an example, this study investigated how the government’s actions influenced people’s intentions to share information about risks and content with positive emotions. By employing the Third-Person Effect theory, this study further explores the underlying socio-psychological mechanism. A survey was conducted with 7,962 participants, and multiple linear regressions and structural equation models were applied to analyze the data. We found that (1) the policies that led to inconvenience whetted the dissemination of risk information and restricted the sharing of positive-emotion content; (2) “status-led” motivation was the critical reason why people shared both types of messages; and (3) Third-Person Perception mediated both of these influences. These findings expand our understanding of social communication during public health crises, particularly how the Third-Person Effect works.

TikTok as a Source of Health Information and Misinformation for Young Women in the United States: Survey Study.

TikTok is one of the most-used and fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, and recent reports indicate that it has become an increasingly popular source of news and information in the United States. These trends have important implications for public health because an abundance of health information exists on the platform. Women are among the largest group of TikTok users in the United States and may be especially affected by the dissemination of health information on TikTok. Prior research has shown that women are not only more likely to look for information on the internet but are also more likely to have their health-related behaviors and perceptions affected by their involvement with social media. We conducted a survey of young women in the United States to better understand their use of TikTok for health information as well as their perceptions of TikTok's health information and health communication sources. A web-based survey of US women aged 18 to 29 years (N=1172) was conducted in April-May 2023. The sample was recruited from a Qualtrics research panel and 2 public universities in the United States. The results indicate that the majority of young women in the United States who have used TikTok have obtained health information from the platform either intentionally (672/1026, 65.5%) or unintentionally (948/1026, 92.4%). Age (959/1026, 93.47%; r=0.30; P<.001), education (959/1026, 93.47%; ρ=0.10; P=.001), and TikTok intensity (ie, participants' emotional connectedness to TikTok and TikTok's integration into their daily lives; 959/1026, 93.47%; r=0.32; P<.001) were positively correlated with overall credibility perceptions of the health information. Nearly the entire sample reported that they think that misinformation is prevalent on TikTok to at least some extent (1007/1026, 98.15%), but a third-person effect was found because the young women reported that they believe that other people are more susceptible to health misinformation on TikTok than they personally are (t1025=21.16; P<.001). Both health professionals and general users were common sources of health information on TikTok: 93.08% (955/1026) of the participants indicated that they had obtained health information from a health professional, and 93.86% (963/1026) indicated that they had obtained health information from a general user. The respondents showed greater preference for health information from health professionals (vs general users; t1025=23.75; P<.001); the respondents also reported obtaining health information from health professionals more often than from general users (t1025=8.13; P<.001), and they were more likely to act on health information from health professionals (vs general users; t1025=12.74; P<.001). The findings suggest that health professionals and health communication scholars need to proactively consider using TikTok as a platform for disseminating health information to young women because young women are obtaining health information from TikTok and prefer information from health professionals.

Does a perceptual gap lead to actions against digital misinformation? A third-person effect study among medical students

BackgroundWe are making progress in the fight against health-related misinformation, but mass participation and active engagement are far from adequate. Focusing on pre-professional medical students with above-average medical knowledge, our study examined whether and how third-person perceptions (TPP), which hypothesize that people tend to perceive media messages as having a greater effect on others than on themselves, would motivate their actions against misinformation.MethodsWe collected the cross-sectional data through a self-administered paper-and-pencil survey of 1,500 medical students in China during April 2022.ResultsStructural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, showed that TPP was negatively associated with medical students’ actions against digital misinformation, including rebuttal of misinformation and promotion of corrective information. However, self-efficacy and collectivism served as positive predictors of both actions. Additionally, we found professional identification failed to play a significant role in influencing TPP, while digital misinformation self-efficacy was found to broaden the third-person perceptual gap and collectivism tended to reduce the perceptual bias significantly.ConclusionsOur study contributes both to theory and practice. It extends the third-person effect theory by moving beyond the examination of restrictive actions and toward the exploration of corrective and promotional actions in the context of misinformation., It also lends a new perspective to the current efforts to counter digital misinformation; involving pre-professionals (in this case, medical students) in the fight.

The impact of third-person effect on social networking sites privacy risks and protective measures adoption among Yemeni students in Malaysia

This investigation utilized the Third-Person Effect (TPE) theory to comprehend how individuals perceive the impact of Social Networking Sites (SNS) privacy risks on themselves versus others. The TPE theory posits that individuals tend to believe that media messages, particularly negative ones, exert a diminished or negligible influence on themselves but wield a substantial impact on others. First introduced by Davison in 1983, this theory has historically been employed to examine perceived negative influences in media content, such as stereotyping and pornography. The current study focuses on the perceptions of individuals regarding the influence of SNS privacy risks, specifically among Yemeni students in Malaysia. The study aimed to achieve three primary objectives: Firstly, to investigate whether individuals perceive SNS privacy risks as affecting others more than themselves. Secondly, to examine the connection between the difference in perceived risk between oneself and others and the likelihood of recommending SNS privacy protective measures to others, and Thirdly, to evaluate the relationship between the difference in perceived risk between oneself and others and the likelihood of adopting SNS privacy protective measures for oneself. Through judgmental sampling, a total of 387 participants took part in the study, involving the distribution of an online questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. The results of the study indicate a pronounced Third-Person Effect concerning SNS privacy risks among Yemeni students. Additionally, the study revealed that these students not only recommended privacy-protective measures to others but did not adopt the same measures for themselves. In summary, the findings support the validity of the Third-Person Effect (TPE) theory in the context of SNS privacy risks, suggesting that individuals tend to perceive the impact more on others than on themselves when experiencing fear.

The First-person Effect of Green Advertising

Abstract Research on people’s perceptions of media effects had been focused on third-person effect of negative information, whereas the first-person effect of positive information was less explored. This paper aims to investigate the drivers of the first-person effect of green advertising and its behavioral consequences. An online questionnaire survey was used to collect data, obtaining 414 valid questionnaires that were analyzed using Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling. The result indicates that (1) the first-person effect existed in green advertising; (2) social desirability, environmental involvement, and advertising involvement had positive impact on the first-person effect, which in turn, led to green supportive behavior. In addition, this study proposes relevant theoretical implications and practical applications, as well as suggests for future research directions. JEL classification numbers: M37. Keywords: First-person effect, Social desirability, Environmental involvement, Advertising involvement.

News personalization, narcissism, & the third-person effect: examining support for restrictions on audience data collection

ABSTRACT An online survey (N = 561) tested perceptions of the personalization of online political news. A third-person effect emerged: respondents believed others would be more affected by political news personalization than themselves. Those who thought others would be more affected were also more likely to support restrictions on websites’ use of audience data to personalize news. Narcissism was a significant moderator of the relationship between the third person differential and support for restrictions on data collection.

Using the ELM to Explore the Impact of Fake News on Panic Vaccination Intention

The study explores the effects of COVID-19 vaccine fake news on social media from the perspective of the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). The research model theorizes that factors of the central route and factors of the peripheral route influence panic vaccination intention through the third-person effect of fake news, personal norm, and the individual's attitude toward panic vaccination (i.e., the vaccination equivalent of “panic buying”). Data were collected via an online survey with 409 valid responses. The study applies partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. The findings have theoretical and practical implications and provide insights to help reduce the spread of fake news on social media during an outbreak to better ensure that people are not misled by fake news.

Do users want platform moderation or individual control? Examining the role of third-person effects and free speech support in shaping moderation preferences

This study examines social media users’ preferences for the use of platform-wide moderation in comparison to user-controlled, personalized moderation tools to regulate three categories of norm-violating content—hate speech, sexually explicit content, and violent content. Via a nationally representative survey of 984 US adults, we explore the influence of third-person effects and support for freedom of expression on this choice. We find that perceived negative effects on others negatively predict while free speech support positively predicts a preference for having personal moderation settings over platform-directed moderation for regulating each speech category. Our findings show that platform governance initiatives need to account for both actual and perceived media effects of norm-violating speech categories to increase user satisfaction. Our analysis also suggests that users do not view personal moderation tools as an infringement on others’ free speech but as a means to assert greater agency over their social media feeds.

Masculinity Crisis or Intergenerational Perceptual Biases? Explicating Public Acquiescence to the Media Regulation on Effeminate Masculinity

Abstract By drawing on the perspective of the third-person effect (TPE), this study explains Chinese men’s general acquiescence to the nation’s recent media regulation on effeminate masculinity. Data were collected among Chinese male netizens through an online cross-sectional survey (N = 735) and processed using a paired samples t-test, regression analysis, and mediation test. The statistical results demonstrate that public silence is not based on their perception of a masculinity crisis but rather a generation gap in self-other perceptual biases that conceive the younger generation as more susceptible to the influence of effeminate male media figures. Furthermore, the study found that media exposure, perceived desirability, critical media literacy, and gender ideology significantly predicted respondents’ related perceptions through the mediation of social distance. While frequent media exposure and positive media portrayals have demonstrated a potential for reducing prejudice against nonconventional gender performances, the recent official restriction on effeminate masculinity may perpetuate this prejudice. Overall, this study enriches the literature on the TPE by comparing intergenerational differences in perceptual biases regarding the social implications of media portrayals of effeminate masculinity.

Perceived offensiveness to the self, not that to others, is a robust positive predictor of support of censoring sexual, alcoholic, and violent media content.

Harm and offense are two important notions in legal discussions on the extent to which one's freedom may be limited. Prior research on the third-person effect found that perceived media harm on others, not perceived media harm on the self, is a robust positive predictor of support of censoring socially undesirable media content (e.g., pornography). In comparison, how offensiveness perceptions predict censorship support is not clear. Drawing on moral foundations theory, we test here how perceived media offensiveness to the self compared with 1) perceived media offensiveness to others and 2) perceived media harm on others would predict censorship support. We conducted two cross-sectional survey studies in the U.S. to address this question with sexual, alcoholic, and violent media content as test cases. In Study 1 (N = 544 undergraduates), we measured perceived media offensiveness to the self, that to others, and censorship support. In Study 2 (N = 727 non-student adults), we also measured perceived media harm on the self and others. As in prior research, we found that people perceive sexual, alcoholic, and violent media content to harm other viewers more strongly than it harms themselves, and the perception of how much others are harmed predicts perceivers' censorship support. In contrast, while people also perceive the three types of media content to offend other viewers more strongly than they offend the self, the perception of how much others are offended predicts censorship support to a significantly lesser extent or does not predict this at all. Instead, the perception of how much the self is offended does. These findings add to the work on moral foundations theory that distinguishes between how the care/harm and sanctity/degradation foundations relate to moral judgments. These findings also suggest that the current theorizing of the third-person effect needs to expand to reconcile the seemingly inconsistent results on how harm and offensiveness perceptions differently relate to censorship support. The care/harm and sanctity/degradation foundations may underlie how harm and offensiveness perceptions predict censorship support. However, several "anomalous" findings need to be accounted for before moral foundations provide a comprehensive explanation of the third-person effect.

‘Millennials and centennials' perspective on streaming narratives in Spain and Mexico: Spiral of silence, bandwagon effect, and third person effect

Viewers are increasingly used to the link between entertainment and technology in the current media ecosystem. The success of consuming streaming platforms when watching movies and series shows how the audience is more involved in new forms of viewing, at any time, at any moment, and with any content. This research aimed to examine the perception of millennial and centennial audiences in Spain and Mexico, the two Spanish-speaking countries with the highest streaming consumption, about audiovisual content producers for entertainment. Three theories on public perception (spiral of silence, bandwagon effect, and third-person effect) were used as the basis of the research questions to unravel the extent to which younger audiences in these countries consider that production companies are, or are not, ethical in the representation of what may be labeled as "sensitive topics". The results show that centennials are more confident in their critical perceptions of controversial issues in movies and series, while, on the other hand, millennials approach their perceptions with more cautiousness and confusion.

A Direct and Indirect Effect of Third-Person Perception of COVID-19 Fake News on Support for Fake News Regulations on Social Media: Investigating the Role of Negative Emotions and Political Views

ABSTRACT Based on the third-person effect theory, the present study explored the direct and indirect relationships between the third-person perception of fake news and public support for fake news regulations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that the direct effect of the third-person perception of COVID-19 fake news on the support for fake news regulations was significant and positive. However, the indirect effect of the third-person perception of COVID-19 fake news on the support for fake news regulations was found to be significantly negative. The third-person perception of COVID-19 fake news reduced negative emotions toward COVID-19 fake news, which, in turn, decreased public support for fake news regulations. Furthermore, this study indicated that the negative indirect effect of the third-person perception of COVID-19 fake news on the support for restrictions against fake news varied depending on individuals’ political views. The indirect negative effect of the third-person perception of COVID-19 fake news on the support for fake news regulations was significant only for those with conservative political positions. This indirect negative effect was not significant among those with liberal political positions. The implications of the findings were discussed.

How dark triad influences rumors spreading on social media? Mediating role of declining third-person effect

How dark triad influences rumors spreading on social media? Mediating role of declining third-person effect

Motivating healthcare professionals to correct online health misinformation: The roles of subjective norm, third-person perception, and channel differences

Health misinformation continues to proliferate on social media, and corrective actions have been deemed effective in countering online misinformation. Such corrections are especially effective when performed by healthcare professionals who are considered experts in the field. Informed by third-person effect and social norm theories, this study investigates the role of third-person perception and subjective norms in promoting healthcare professionals' intention to correct and report online health misinformation. This study also examines the effects of exposure to health misinformation across four platforms (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp) on third-person perception and subjective norms. The survey data collected from 377 medical doctors and nurses in the United States showed that subjective norms predicted all five corrective actions (i.e., public priming, private priming, public rebuttal, private rebuttal, and reporting). Interestingly, the third-person perception was found to reduce private rebuttal intention. Moreover, exposure to misinformation on Facebook triggered third-person perception and subjective norms, whereas Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp showed significant negative associations with third-person perception. These findings provide new insights into the application of third-person effect and social norm theories and suggest the need for tailored interventions to encourage health professionals’ participation in combating health misinformation on social media.

The Influence of Media on Public Opinion - Taking Internet Rumor Propagation as an Example

With the vigorous development of social media, the Internet has become the hardest-hit area for rumor propagation. Various unaudited remarks released by the public or the media can easily lead to serious public opinion crises. Therefore, it is very important to explore the causes of rumor generation, communication, and solutions. Based on the case of Internet rumor propagation of the 2018 Chongqing Bus falling into the river, this paper analyzes the rumor propagation of the incident from the perspective of the media and the public and the aspects of the " third-person effect", "stereotype", "spiral of silence", visual images and more. Research has found that the media plays a very important role in the process of rumor spreading, especially the official media, because they usually have significant authority and trust among the public. The public's subjective reactions, such as emotional reactions and stereotypes, also lead to their inability to analyze rumors objectively. Rational speech cannot be spread in this public opinion crisis because it is emotionally opposed and attacked by most people. Therefore, the mainstream media should standardize their behavior and responsibilities and pay attention to the authenticity of the news. The public should also enhance their discrimination ability and avoid the deterioration of the public opinion environment

Intention to Participate in Social Activism Activities in Response to Corporate Social Advocacy: A Third-Person Effect Perspective

ABSTRACT Drawing on the theory of third-person effect (TPE) and the discrepancy motives model, the current study examined corporate social advocacy’s (CSA’s) influence on the public’s intention to participate in social activism activities in terms of boycott and discursive activities through consumers’ perceptions of CSA’s influence on in-groups and out-groups. Study 1 conducted a 3 (preexisting attitude: pro vs. neutral vs. anti) × 2 (CSA position: pro vs. anti) × 2 (corporate credibility: high vs. low credibility) between-subjects experiment. Participants reported higher third-person perceptions (TPP) when they held an attitude that countered the CSA message than when they were neutral or supportive of the CSA’s position. Study 2 utilized an online survey. The results reinforced Study 1 in suggesting attitude discrepancy as a significant predictor of TPPs. Study 2 also suggested that perceived negative and positive CSA influences predicted boycott intention and intention to participate in discursive activities, respectively. The results of the two studies enabled theoretical discussions of TPE research in a context when message recipients have divergent opinions of a media message and illuminated CSA’s role in mobilizing social activism relating to controversial issues.

Another Point of View: Scholarly Responses to the State of Third-Person Research

ABSTRACT In a series of essays, scholars respond to Perloff and Shen’s article, “The Third-Person Effect 40 Years After Davison Penned It.” They offer further thoughts on how to measure the phenomenon, where future research is headed, and even whether the effect is real.