Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Studies of the hostile media effect have found that those who are highly involved with controversial issues or groups in the news tend to perceive news stories about those issue or groups as biased, even though other uninvolved individuals would label such stories as balanced or neutral. The current study used an experimental design to test exemplification of public opinion as a theoretical explanation for the hostile media effect. Exemplification of public opinion (as manipulated by the ratio of supportive to unsupportive quotes in the article) was found to affect article bias perceptions among all participants, but especially among members of a partisan group. Perceptions of story bias mediated the relationship between exemplification of public opinion and perceptions of how influential the story would be in changing others’ opinions about the partisan group.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Studies of the hostile media effect (HME) have found that partisans, those who are highly involved with controversial issues or groups in the news, tend to perceive news stories about those issue or groups as biased, even though other uninvolved individuals would label such stories as balanced or neutral. A previous study found that the quotes used to exemplify public opinion in a news story predicted partisans’ perceptions of story bias and its influence on others. The current study examined the extent to which anecdotes that exemplified misdeeds committed by members of a partisan group affected group and non-group members’ perceptions of story bias, thus further testing the ability of exemplification theory to explain the HME. The study also added a new variable to the study of the HME: intent to continue to consume news produced by the offending source. Anecdotal exemplification did not predict hostile media judgments. However, hostile media judgments were associated with less intent to read the given paper and stories by the given reporter in the future.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: Though the exemplification effect is confirmed by more than 40 experiments, there is still a lack of external validity: All investigations used student samples in highly indus-trialized countries, i.e. the U.S. and Germany. Therefore, an interaction between educational or cultural variables and the effect can not be excluded. To examine if exemplification effects are independent from age and education or social and cultural traits, three field experiments were conducted, using quota samples to reach a maximum of variance for the personal traits of the participants. Experiment 1 (629 subjects) is a one-factor-design showing a stable effect independent from education. Experiment 2 (383 subjects) is a 2x2 design confirming that even preconceptions and existing knowledge do not prevent exemplification effects. Experiment 3 (434 subjects) is a 2x2 experiment testing the same stimulus material in Siberia (Russia) and Germany showing cross-cultural exemplification effects. Implications of these results for exemplification theory are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Statistics say that one in 10 mothers suffer from postpartum depression. As many as 80% of new mothers experience the “baby blues” after delivery. About 20% of these women will develop a more severe and longer-lasting depression after delivery (postpartum depression). One in 1,000 women develops the more serious condition called postpartum psychosis (WebMD, 2008). It is the aim of this study to see if online news slideshows can prime stereotypes of mental illness, particularly for postpartum depression.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: News organizations have experimented over the years with diversity policies to in-crease and improve coverage of minority groups. Such policies are designed to in-crease the visibility of underrepresented groups so as to produce news that is more representative of the populations it addresses and with an additional goal of increas-ing readership. Previous exemplification research suggests there may be unintended effects of these policies that require increased use of minorities as expert and non-expert sources in news stories, but the present study, an experiment that manipu-lates use of minority exemplars in news stories, also suggests that such policies can have potentially desired effects and alter attitudes about members of minority groups.