Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

Spread of mis- and dis-information has emerged as one of the most concerning threat to democratic processes in the United States. Who is to blame for such a rise in the spread of mis- and dis-information is yet to be decided, however, this study aimed to explore how such forms of information is consumed and believed by the audiences. This research expands on our understanding of how ideological cues work to promote mis/disinformation consumption along with other factors like, political opinion leaders, cognitive dissonance and personal ideology. Furthermore, the study explores the two-step selective evaluation process, which an information consumer goes through before making any decision on the information. The decision is then further rationalized in post-decisional effects. A survey experiment was conducted on 429 respondents who showed that any information content will be palatable to them if those information carries ideologically confirming cues. Moreover, the study used opinion leader as manipulation to test cognitive dissonance, consonance, and resonance against the personal ideology of the respondents to further divulge into the process of mis/disinformation consumption. A deductive thematic analysis of audience responses gives a direction to the decision-making process when faced with congruent or incongruent information.

Committee: Victoria LaPoe (Advisor) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Political Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Communication

Overcoming audience resistance is an important and lasting topic in communication research. Theories conceptualizing the self as the driver of various media processes, including selection, processing, and effects, can offer a unified account for audience resistance across communication domains and provide important guidance for message design in communication campaigns and interventions. This dissertation focused on the role of the self-improvement motive in media processes and posited that, due to its ability to orient individuals towards changes in their self-concepts, this motivation can encourage the selection and processing of beneficial but self-threatening messages, as well as produce positive outcomes post-exposure. Theoretical propositions were advanced based on the SESAM (Selective Exposure Self- and Affect Management) model and the literature on the self-improvement motive. The SESAM model posits that the working self and affect combined would determine a self-related motive, which then directs selective exposure behaviors and message processing of mediated social comparison targets. Specifically, the self-improvement motive is expected to prompt media users to select portrayals of upward comparison targets to learn and improve, resulting in more positive affect and self-concept after exposure. Study 1 added to the original model by examining the potential predictors of the self-improvement motive, including domain importance, perceived discrepancy, and perceived attainability (proposition 1); and testing whether priming a working self-concept in conjunction to the self-improvement motive would lead to selection of upward comparison targets in the same life domain (proposition 2). The results showed little support for these predictions. Perceived discrepancy interacted with perceived attainability to produce different levels of the self-improvement motive as expected. However, the manipulation did not prompt stronger selective exposure of upward compar (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Silvia Knobloch_Westerwick Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Emily Moyer-Gusé Ph.D. (Committee Member); Hyunyi Cho Ph.D. (Committee Member); Graham Dixon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication