1997 04 10 Communication Reports - Vol 10 No 2 - Glenn G Sparks

Magazine Overview

Title: Communication Reports
Issue: Volume 10, No. 2
Date: Summer 1997
Publisher: Routledge
Country: UK
Language: English

This issue of Communication Reports features a significant research article titled "The Effect of News Stories About UFOs on Readers' UFO Beliefs: The Role of Confirming or Disconfirming Testimony From a Scientist" by Glenn G. Sparks and Marianne Pellechia. The article delves into how media portrayals of UFO phenomena, particularly when involving scientific commentary, influence public perception and belief.

Article: The Effect of News Stories About UFOs on Readers' UFO Beliefs: The Role of Confirming or Disconfirming Testimony From a Scientist

This study, conducted by Glenn G. Sparks and Marianne Pellechia from Purdue University, investigated the impact of different news story versions on readers' beliefs about UFOs and alien abductions. The experiment aimed to determine if information that either supported or cast doubt on the reality of UFOs, and the inclusion of a scientific authority, affected these beliefs.

Background and Previous Research

The authors note a common claim that the mass media plays a significant role in encouraging uncritical acceptance of paranormal claims. Despite this, empirical research substantiating this view was relatively scarce until recently. However, some studies, including prior work by Sparks and colleagues, suggested that media depictions of the paranormal do influence audience beliefs.

The article also discusses the importance of journalistic practices in reporting scientific research. It highlights that effective science reporting should include relevant information, such as the names and institutional affiliations of researchers, to provide context and credibility. A news account about a paranormal event, when presented with affirming statements from a scientist, can be seen as a message from a high-credibility source, which is generally more persuasive.

Theoretical Expectations

Based on this logic, the researchers hypothesized that participants would exhibit higher subsequent beliefs in UFOs if a news story affirmed the events as real through a scientist's perspective, compared to a story where a scientist disconfirmed them. They also expected that stories without scientific commentary would have less impact.

Methodology

Sample

The study involved 122 students from a communication class at a large midwestern university. Participation was voluntary and part of an in-class activity.

Design

Participants were randomly assigned to one of five experimental conditions. They were asked to read three news stories, adapted from actual magazine articles, presented in type-written text. Two of these were "filler" stories (about emotional intelligence and workplace discrimination due to AIDS) to disguise the study's purpose. The third story was either about effective communication (control group) or about UFOs and alien abductions.

The UFO story was manipulated into four versions, all beginning with the same five paragraphs about an alien abduction. The final three paragraphs varied:

1. No Scientist; UFO Abductions Affirmed: Discussed reasons why abduction accounts were likely true, without scientific authority.
2. Scientist; UFO Abductions Affirmed: Discussed reasons why abduction accounts were likely true, affirmed by a Pulitzer Prize-winning psychiatrist from Harvard University.
3. No Scientist; UFO Abductions Disconfirmed: Discussed reasons why abduction accounts were likely false, without scientific authority.
4. Scientist; UFO Abductions Disconfirmed: Discussed reasons why abduction accounts were likely false, affirmed by a psychologist heading a university research team.

These versions, along with the control story, were balanced in their position within the booklet, and the distribution of booklets was random.

Measure of UFO Beliefs

An additive index of eight items related to UFOs and alien abductions served as the dependent measure. The index had a Cronbach's alpha of .75, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Responses were on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).

Results

Preliminary analyses showed that the sex of the participant and the order of the UFO story had no main effect on the UFO Beliefs index. The main analysis, a one-way ANOVA, revealed a significant main effect for the experimental manipulation (F(1,117) = 3.57, p < .009).

Inspection of the means indicated that the highest level of UFO beliefs was found among respondents who read the UFO story in which a scientist affirmed the reality of alien abductions (M = 32.72). The lowest level of UFO beliefs was in the control group (M = 25.95).

Post-hoc analyses confirmed that UFO beliefs were significantly higher in the "scientist-affirmed" condition compared to the "no scientist" conditions or the control group. Interestingly, beliefs in the "scientist-disconfirmed" condition were not significantly lower than any other condition.

Discussion

The results indicated that respondents who read a UFO news story with affirming comments from a scientist expressed significantly stronger beliefs in UFOs than those who read either the affirming or disconfirming story without a scientist, or a story unrelated to UFOs. The experimental manipulation accounted for 11% of the variance in UFO beliefs.

Contrary to expectations, the "scientist-disconfirmed" story did not lead to significantly weaker beliefs. The authors suggest a possible reason is that simply mentioning a scientist in a story about the paranormal may lend it more legitimacy, regardless of the specific comments made. This finding needs further exploration.

The study acknowledges limitations, including measuring effects immediately after exposure, which might not reflect long-term impact. The authors also note that the prestigious affiliation of the affirming scientist (Harvard) versus the less prestigious affiliation of the disconfirming scientist (a university psychologist) could have influenced results, although they aimed for external validity by using real-world scientist roles.

Endnotes and References

The article includes endnotes clarifying terms like "UFO" and providing details about participant data. A comprehensive list of references is provided, citing numerous works on communication, journalism, science reporting, paranormal beliefs, and attitude change. Notable references include works by Borman, Dunwoody, Eagly & Chaiken, Evans, Feder, Kurtz, Maller & Lundeen, Pulford, and Randi.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue revolves around the influence of media, particularly news reporting, on public beliefs, with a specific focus on paranormal phenomena like UFOs. The research presented suggests that the framing of information, especially the inclusion and stance of scientific authorities, significantly shapes audience perception and belief formation. The magazine, through publishing this type of research, appears to align with an editorial stance that values empirical investigation into the effects of mass communication on societal beliefs and attitudes, particularly concerning topics often viewed with skepticism or fascination.

The article implicitly supports the idea that media literacy and critical evaluation of sources are important, especially when dealing with complex or controversial topics like UFOs. The findings underscore the power of perceived authority and credibility in shaping public opinion, a recurring concern in communication studies.