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Zichettella Thesis 2020.pdf (557.8 KB)

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What to Believe and What to Avoid: Examining the Impact of Affective Polarization on Credibility Perceptions and Norm Sensitivity

Zichettella, Brianna R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1597868460258027

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Communication.
Research suggests that negative affect between political groups may impact the way that group members interact with counter-attitudinal information. Increasing the affective polarization of political group members may cause them to rate two-sided and counter-attitudinal news headlines as lower in credibility. It may also increase their sensitivity to injunctive norms promoted by in-party elites. These theories are tested in a pair of experiments manipulating participants’ affective polarization in order to examine changes in their credibility perceptions of political headlines and their sensitivity to injunctive norms, respectively. This manipulation failed to produce statistically significant effects. These relationships were subsequently tested cross-sectionally based on natural variation in participants’ affective polarization. However, these tests also failed to detect a significant relationship between affective polarization and the outcomes of interest. Although these results are inconclusive, a broad examination of patterns within the studies’ non-results suggests that further theorizing in this area may be required.
R. Kelly Garrett, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Robert Bond, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
61 p.
Communication
affective polarization; polarization; political identity; social identity theory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Zichettella, B. R. (2020). What to Believe and What to Avoid: Examining the Impact of Affective Polarization on Credibility Perceptions and Norm Sensitivity [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1597868460258027

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Zichettella, Brianna. What to Believe and What to Avoid: Examining the Impact of Affective Polarization on Credibility Perceptions and Norm Sensitivity . 2020. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1597868460258027.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Zichettella, Brianna. "What to Believe and What to Avoid: Examining the Impact of Affective Polarization on Credibility Perceptions and Norm Sensitivity ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1597868460258027

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1597868460258027
189
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