Consequences of Perceived Effects: The Variable Perception-Behavior Linkage in the Third-Person Effects.

Returning to Davison’s original formulation of the third-person effect, this paper argues that TPE is a theoretical framework accounting for a particular process of media effects: that of behaviors in relation to the media conditioned by the biased perceptions about media effects. Behavioral consequences of the third-person perceptions must be explicated more carefully in terms of those targeted at or about the media messages in question. Analyzing data from a web-based survey, this paper shows that self-other perceptual gaps vary across messages with desirable or undesirable presumed influences; such gaps predict inclinations to engage in restrictive or corrective behaviors with regard to the messages of undesirable influences and promotional behaviors with regard to the messages of desirable influences. In addition, behavioral consequences are related to different elements of the lay theories about media effects called “media effect schemas.” This study also shows that perceived effects on self vs. on other have different behavioral consequences. Implications for future TPE studies are discussed. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]