THE THIRD-PERSON EFFECT : DISCREPANT PERCEPTIONS OF THE INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION CONTENT

Abstract

The third-person effect proposes that individuals systematically perceive others to be more susceptible than themselves to the negative influence of media content. This study seeks to test the proposition and to explain the phenomenon within the social psychology theory of attribution. The third-person effect may base its process on the self-other attributional bias anchored on control and egocentric motivations. Analysis of data from a survey on perceptions of the influence of sex-related television content demonstrated a robust third-person effect, with the judgments of negative influence associating strongly with the third-person effect's magnitude. Further analysis found older individuals expressing a higher third-person effect, but no difference between individuals with low and high levels of education.