Document Type
Journal Article
Department/Unit
Department of Journalism
Title
Message, perception, and the Beijing olympics: Impact of differential media exposure on perceived opinion diversity
Language
English
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of media exposure on individuals' perception of opinion diversity and the psychological mechanisms underlying such effects. We compare the differential contributions of monopolistic with pluralistic media messages and test two conceptual models: The first delineates a mechanism of direct impact of media exposure on opinion perception; the second specifies a mechanism that relates to social projection effects. Using data from telephone interviews of a random sample of 595 Chinese citizens, we find that perceived opinion diversity is positively related to exposure to pluralistic media messages and negatively related to exposure to monopolistic media messages. Furthermore, opinion extremity is found to mediate such relationships. © The Author(s) 2011.
Keywords
perceived opinion diversity, pluralistic versus monopolistic media messages, social projection
Publication Date
2011
Source Publication Title
Communication Research
Volume
38
Issue
3
Start Page
422
End Page
445
Publisher
SAGE Publications
DOI
10.1177/0093650210384985
Link to Publisher's Edition
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650210384985
ISSN (print)
00936502
ISSN (electronic)
15523810
APA Citation
Wang, N., Guo, Z., & Shen, F. (2011). Message, perception, and the Beijing olympics: Impact of differential media exposure on perceived opinion diversity. Communication Research, 38 (3), 422-445. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650210384985