Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The gender disparity in political office is most often explained by the social eligibility pool hypothesis, which purports that the number of women in the political realm will increase as women infiltrate the ‘pipeline professions.’ However, recent scholarship asserts that women and men in seemingly equitable professional and social positions do not perceive themselves as equally qualified to run for political office. Specifically, women view themselves as less qualified than their male counterparts. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether others view male and female potential candidates within this differential framework as well. Moreover, this study will investigate how gender and perceptions of qualification interact with a potential candidate’s occupation and family context. Lastly, I will explore how gender stereotypes may impact the level of office for which a candidate is considered eligible. I use an experiment with over 500 subjects in order to isolate the impact that the gender of a potential candidate has on perceptions of qualifications.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The central purpose of this investigation is to test the theoretical relationship between one’s cultural orientation, and the perceptions typically linked to the verbal content of particular types of truthful and deceptive messages that are produced in different cultures. This study also seeks to investigate the constellation of perceptions that are associated with subsequent judgments of deceit. Finally, potential miscommunication that can occur between members of different cultural orientations due to misaligned perceptions will be investigated. Findings from a host of prior cross-cultural studies suggest that those of differing cultural orientations are likely to possess differing motivations for deceiving and truthtelling, and as a consequence, are likely to exhibit differing perceptions toward deceptive and truthful messages. To test the proposed theoretical relationships, participants (N=240) were solicited from the United States (n=120) and Japan (n=120) to rate the transcribed verbal content of both deceptive and truthful messages generated by both American and Japanese subjects in a prior cross-cultural study of deceptive behavior. All participants were instructed to review and evaluate two out of a total of 40 transcribed dyadic interactions that were recorded as part of an earlier cross-cultural experiment investigating nonverbal behaviors under deception. For both transcripts reviewed, participants rated the verbal content of each transcript along the dimensions of: politeness, friendliness, formality, conventionality, and directness. They were also asked to rate their perceptions of the favorableness and deceptiveness of the verbal contents of each transcript. The proposed experimental method and corresponding statistical analyses are discussed in further detail in this paper.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: This paper discusses to what extent the classical approach of Gestalt principles can be applied to explain measurements of visual perception with eye-tracking. Gestalt principles can be seen as a model to interpret certain effects and results of visual perception, whereas eyetracking does give empirical access to physically measurable effects during visual perception. The empirical basis are two studies done with journalistic media: One study compared reading of newspapers in broadsheet and compact format, the second used multimodal presentations in online journalism as stimuli. Applying Gestalt principles as a frame for interpreting eyetracking data allows to address central questions about the reception of multimodal presentations which combine visuals like photos and graphics with written text: How do recipients build references between components of a multimodal stimulus? Which elements are referred to other elements and in which form? Does that influence the further processes of reception?
References:
Bucher, H.J., & Schumacher, P. (2007). Tabloid versus Broadsheet: Wie Zeitungsformate gelesen werden. Media Perspektiven, 10, 514-528.
Bucher, Hans-Jürgen and Schumacher, Peter (2006): The relevance of attention for selecting news content. An eye-tracking study on attention patterns in the reception of print and online media. In: Communications, 31. Jg., 3, S. 347-368.
Bucher, Hans-Jürgen, Schumacher, Peter and Duckwitz, Amelie (2007): With the eyes of the readers: A comparison of the broadsheet and compact formats. An eye-tracking study on reader-newspaper interaction (Ifra Special Report 03.2007). Darmstadt.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examines a) smokers’ selective exposure to and selective perception of anti-tobacco campaigns and b) the moderating role of level of campaign exposure on subsequent selective perception processes. Using nationally representative survey data related to youth’s exposure and reception of several anti-tobacco campaigns in the U.S., this study found people’s tendency of selective perception but not selective exposure. Specifically, smoking status affected people’s degrees of campaign message disparagement but not their degree of campaign exposure. In addition, degree of campaign exposure affected the extent to which people engage in selective perception. The difference in message disparagement between non-smokers and smokers was larger among people who reported higher campaign exposure. Implications of selective processes for campaign effects are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study investigates the effects of exposure to media depicting negative images of the United States on Koreans’ perceptions of Americans and on the anti-Americanism currently rising in Korea. Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate various theoretical arguments. Results revealed that Korean citizens’ exposure to negative images of the U.S. in the Korean media was directly linked to Koreans’ negative perceptions of the U.S. However, it was also shown that these perceptions were not always directly linked to Koreans’ evaluations of issues related to the United States. Thus, it was revealed that exposure to mass media coverage of the U.S. that includes negative imagery of the U.S. and Americans is not always indirectly related to Koreans’ anti-Americanism.