Abstract
The third-person effect sheds light on the self-other discrepancy in perceived media effects on subsequent behavioral consequences. Despite the practical impetus and growing theoretical interest in the third-person effect, very little attention has been given to evaluating its value and efficacy for a more rigorous theory construction. The current research embraces a holistic approach to assess the worth of the third-person effect in theory building based on the six criteria for the evaluation of theory: explanatory power, predictive power, heuristic value, parsimony, testability, and internal consistency. Building on the discussion of its theoretical merits and limitations, new agendas for the third-person effect research are proposed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 74-86 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Review of Communication |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 3 2017 |
Keywords
- Censorship
- Middle-range theory
- Perceived media influence
- Self-other discrepancy
- Theory construction
- Third-person effect
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication