A GUI-based online experiment creation tool (lab.js)

Abstract. Combining the strengths of defaults and transparency information is a potentially powerful way to induce policy compliance. Despite negative theoretical predictions, a recent line of research revealed that default nudges may become more effective if people are informed why they should exhibit the targeted behavior. Yet, it is an open empirical question whether the increase in compliance came from setting a default and consequently disclosing it, or the provided information was sufficient to deliver the effect on its own. Results from an online experiment indicate that both defaulting and transparency information exert a statistically independent effect on compliance, with highest compliance rates observed in the combined condition. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

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Effects of Light-Hearted and Serious Entertainment on Enjoyment of the First and Third Person

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000150 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 42-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Matthias Hofer

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Media Consumption ◽

First Person ◽

Online Experiment ◽

Entertainment Media ◽

Third Person Effect ◽

The Third ◽

Third Person ◽

Perceived Enjoyment ◽

The Third Person

Abstract. This was a study on the perceived enjoyment of different movie genres. In an online experiment, 176 students were randomly divided into two groups (n = 88) and asked to estimate how much they, their closest friends, and young people in general enjoyed either serious or light-hearted movies. These self–other differences in perceived enjoyment of serious or light-hearted movies were also assessed as a function of differing individual motivations underlying entertainment media consumption. The results showed a clear third-person effect for light-hearted movies and a first-person effect for serious movies. The third-person effect for light-hearted movies was moderated by level of hedonic motivation, as participants with high hedonic motivations did not perceive their own and others’ enjoyment of light-hearted films differently. However, eudaimonic motivations did not moderate first-person perceptions in the case of serious films.

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Conflicting Health-Related Scientific Evidence in News Reports: Effects of Hedging and Presentation Format on Perceived Issue Uncertainty and Scientists’ and Journalists’ Credibility

10.35831/sor.healthcom.hz.10172019 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Hui Zhang

Keyword(s):

Health Communication ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

The Other ◽

Presentation Format ◽

News Article ◽

Online Experiment ◽

News Reports ◽

Conflicting Evidence ◽

Health Related

Introduction: This study examined effects of two journalistic practices in reporting conflicting scientific evidence, hedging and presentation format, on scientists’ and journalists’ credibility and issue uncertainty. Methods: An online experiment was conducted using students from a western U.S. university. Hedging was manipulated as reporting methodological limitations versus not reporting the limitations in news articles covering the conflict. Presentation format was manipulated as using a single news article to report both sides of the conflict versus using double articles with one side of the conflict in one article and the other side in the other article. Results: The study found that perceived issue uncertainty was higher in hedged news articles than that in non-hedged articles; presentation format did not affect people’s perceived issue uncertainty. For scientists’ credibility (both competence and trustworthiness), this study found that it was lower in the single-article format than that in the double-article format; for journalists’ credibility, this study found that journalists’ trustworthiness in the two formats did not vary, but their competence was lower in the double-article format than that in the single-article format. Conclusion: This study contributes to the field of science and health communication by examining effects of presentation format used in communicating conflicting health-related scientific evidence and by examining effects of communicating scientific limitations in a context where conflicting evidence exists. Keywords: conflicting scientific evidence, hedging, presentation format, scientists’ credibility, journalists’ credibility

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Altruistic Self-Concept Mediates the Effects of Personality Traits on Volunteering: Evidence from an Online Experiment

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3520990 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

C. Monica Capra ◽

Bing Jiang ◽

Yuxin Su

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Self Concept ◽

Online Experiment

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Catching My Anger: How Political Elites Create Angrier Citizens

Political Research Quarterly ◽

10.1177/10659129211026972 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106591292110269

Author(s):

Carey E. Stapleton ◽

Ryan Dawkins

Keyword(s):

American Politics ◽

Emotional State ◽

Emotional Contagion ◽

Political Elites ◽

Online Experiment ◽

Linkage Effect ◽

State Of Mind

Anger is a common feature in contemporary American politics. Through the process of affect linkage, we argue that one way the electorate becomes angrier about politics is by observing angry displays from political elites. Affect linkage occurs when a person’s emotional state of mind changes to match the emotions displayed by someone else. Using an online experiment in which subjects are randomly exposed to an angry or unemotional debate between a Democrat and Republican running for Congress, we show that exposure to an angry in-party politician significantly increases the amount of anger, disgust, and outrage expressed by co-rank-and-file partisans. This increase in aversive emotions, moreover, increases the likelihood that citizens report the intention to vote, and this affect linkage effect is most pronounced in those who are most likely to stay home on election day: the weakest partisans. Interestingly, angry rhetoric by political elites does not have any effect on out-partisans, suggesting that anger via emotional contagion does not cross party lines.

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When Do Audiences Verify? How Perceptions About Message and Source Influence Audience Verification of News Headlines

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1177/1077699019864680 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (1) ◽

pp. 52-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stephanie Edgerly ◽

Rachel R. Mourão ◽

Esther Thorson ◽

Samuel M. Tham

Keyword(s):

Online Experiment ◽

News Headlines

In today’s media landscape, people are encouraged to verify the news and information they encounter. Using an online experiment, this study explores audience’s intent to verify a news headline by manipulating whether the headline is true or false, from a source that varies in credibility, and perceived to be congruent or incongruent with participants’ partisanship. Results show that participants exhibit a higher intent to verify when they believe the headline is true, which is predicted by perceived congruency with preexisting ideological leanings. We discuss these findings in terms of the normative limitations of audience verification.

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