People tend to exaggerate influence of political ads on others

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://live.psu.edu/story/54335

People tend to exaggerate influence of political ads on others

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

University Park, Pa. -- The push for campaign finance reform may be driven by a tendency to overestimate the power of political messages to influence other people's opinions, according to researchers.

In an experiment, people who viewed negative political advertising said the advertisements had little effect on their own opinions, but believed the ads would have a greater influence on others, said Fuyuan Shen, associate professor, communications, Penn State.

"People have a tendency to overestimate the effect media messages have on others," Shen said. "The perception is that negative messages, like television violence and pornography, in mass media affect others more."

Shen added that when the message is socially desirable, such as donating money, the perception is reversed; people think the message has more of an effect on themselves than on others.

…

[Bluenorthwest]

1. People have a silly view of the power of ads in general.

I read all the time that all one has to do is buy enough commercial time and you can elect anyone. Pass anything. Those who believe that are unable to explain why, then, so many products are introduced with huge ad campaigns only to fail to sell.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Conversely, if ads don't work, why do money-making enterprises spend enough on them

to keep television on the air?

[provis99]

3. crap experiment.

Of course people are going to say ads don't affect them, but that everyone else is affected. All people are also above average, don't you know? Duh. That doesn't mean the ads aren't effective; they are massively effective. It just means that people fool themselves, because they don't want to admit an ad influenced them. Just like my aunt who says ads never influence her, but her house if full of Chia Pets and useless kitchen gadgets like the Slap Chop.