Publication Type: Poster
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Undergraduates read vignettes describing an allegation of sexual assault or a motor vehicle accident. The vignette included information that increased credibility of the complainant/witness, decreased her credibility, or discussed the burden of proof. Factors that increased credibility of the complainant/witness did not influence credibility of the accused when the complainant/witness was described as 5- or 13-years old. However, when she was described as 20-years old, factors that decreased her credibility also increased the credibility of the accused. These data are discussed in the context of breaches to principles of fundamental justice that could lead to wrongful convictions or wrongful acquittals.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Just because we use the internet extensively, does it mean we think it is very credible? A large mail survey (N = 1089) was conducted to address this question by assessing whether overall internet use impacts perceived credibility, and, more importantly, how this outcome is predicted by differential utilities of the internet medium (i.e. internet use for information versus entertainment purposes), as compared to the use and utility of the print medium. Results indicate that internet credibility is significantly predicted by internet use for information, as well as by newspaper use, but not by internet use for entertainment. Two theoretical mediators for these relationships, self-efficacy and supplemental role, are highlighted and discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between source credibility and news coverage of organizations involved in the stem cell and/or cloning debate. Medical, health, or science journalists were asked to rate 30 different organizations on their credibility�trustworthiness, accuracy, fairness, and bias. The study also involved a content analysis of 883 news stories to rate how the news content portrayed those 30 organizations in terms of five indicators of news coverage. The findings suggest that source credibility is related to the quality aspect of news coverage, such as regular and positive coverage, whereas it is not related to the amount of news coverage.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper looks to measure the degree to which governments lose their credibilty in maintaining low-inflation when they either choose, or are forced, to move from a rigid exchange rate to a more flexible one.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In many developing countries, individuals have lost faith in their domestic currency and have chosen to use a competing currency. While the effects of such “dollarization” are still under investigation, no attention has been paid to the political decision to allow such deposits in the first place.I argue that credibility is key to understanding this decision. Economically, individual choices of currency use depend on the credibility of their local government to preserve the value of the currency. Similar to other forms of monetary delegation (hard pegs, currency unions), allowing FC deposits is a commitment device that allows politicians to increase the credibility of their local currency. Politically, the shift from restricted to unrestricted deposits represents a shift from the logic of private goods provision to those of public goods. If a government is not credible in its offer to expand its coalition, potential members will not respond and switch their support, leaving the government with displeased former constituents and insufficient new coalition members. In this situation, non-credible governments will prefer to remain partially liberalized. I use event discrete-time event history analysis to test my argument and find that governments that combine credibility on respect for property rights, but lack such credibility on macroeconomic stability, are more likely to allow their residents to open and maintain unrestricted foreign currency deposits. Allowance of unrestricted FC deposits is also positively associated with the spread of liberalization in the region and negatively associated with a country’s external debt position and an open capital account.