1998 06 00 Communication Quarterly - Vol 46 No 3 - Glenn G Sparks

Magazine Overview

Title: Communication Quarterly
Issue: Vol. 46, No. 3, Summer 1998
Publisher: Routledge
Country of Publication: UK
Original Language: English
ISSN: 01463379809370102
Cover Headline: Does television news about UFOs affect viewers' UFO beliefs?: An experimental investigation

Article: Does Television News About UFOs Affect Viewers' UFO Beliefs?: An Experimental Investigation

This article, authored by Glenn G. Sparks, Marianne Pellechia, and Chris Irvine, investigates the influence of television news on viewers' beliefs about UFOs. The study was conducted at Purdue University and presented at the Broadcast Education Association annual meeting in Las Vegas in April 1997. The research was published in Communication Quarterly in Summer 1998.

Background and Previous Research

The authors note a widespread belief in paranormal events and express concern that mass media may contribute to uncritical acceptance of these phenomena. Despite this concern, there has been limited research on media impact in this area. Previous studies by Sparks et al. (1994, 1995, 1997) suggested a media influence, with one experiment showing that a disclaimer about fictional content reduced paranormal beliefs, another indicating that viewing UFO segments increased UFO beliefs, and a survey correlating paranormal beliefs with viewing relevant TV programs.

The study addresses the significant media attention given to UFOs, including the 1947 Roswell crash and the notion of alien involvement in human evolution. Scholars like Feder (1984) have lamented the acceptance of such ideas, with Bainbridge (1978) suggesting universities fail to equip students against "intellectual fraud." The authors highlight the role of credible media sources, such as the CBS program "48 Hours," in presenting these claims, sometimes in a "two-sided" manner (presenting both supporting and discrediting information) and sometimes in a "one-sided" manner (presenting only supporting information).

Theoretical Framework

The study is grounded in the heuristic-systematic model of attitude change, which posits that high credibility sources are more persuasive. This model suggests that when people encounter a "credibility cue," they form expectancies about the message's validity, which then biases their processing of the information. The authors posited that a broadcast news program like "48 Hours," perceived as credible, would lead viewers to accept the information presented without critical scrutiny.

Methodology

The experiment involved 68 undergraduate students from an introductory communication class at a Midwestern university. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Both conditions involved viewing a videotape that included nature films and a suspenseful movie segment, followed by a 20-minute segment from "48 Hours." The key manipulation was the "48 Hours" segment:

• Condition 1 (One-Sided PRO-UFO): Participants viewed a segment detailing involvement in the alleged Roswell flying saucer crash, featuring testimony supporting the existence of UFOs and alien bodies, with no discrediting information.
• Condition 2 (Two-Sided): Participants viewed a segment featuring a group searching for UFOs and filming one, but this was followed by scientists commenting that the image was a conventional jet aircraft, and noting the proximity of a major airport.

Participants completed an 8-item UFO Belief Index questionnaire before and after viewing the video segments. The index measured beliefs in UFOs and space aliens on a 7-point scale, with items measuring disbelief being reverse-coded. Cronbach's alpha for the scale was .88 before viewing and .90 after.

Results

A preliminary ANOVA confirmed that random assignment to conditions was successful, with no significant differences in preliminary UFO beliefs based on video condition or sex.

A 2x2 ANOVA on the change score (post-viewing minus pre-viewing beliefs) revealed significant main effects for both video version and sex of participant.

• Video Version: Participants who viewed the one-sided PRO-UFO segment increased their UFO beliefs (M = +2.30) significantly more than those who viewed the two-sided segment (M = -3.62), who decreased their beliefs.
• Sex of Participant: Females showed a decrease in UFO beliefs (M = -2.46), while males showed an increase (M = +1.14).

The interaction effect between video condition and sex was not significant.

A manipulation check study indicated that "48 Hours" was perceived as more credible than "Unsolved Mysteries," although neither was perceived as highly credible by the student participants.

Discussion

The findings confirmed the main hypothesis: a one-sided news report supporting UFOs led to increased beliefs, while a two-sided report with scientific discrediting led to decreased beliefs. The authors suggest that the relative uncertainty about UFOs in the general population makes media messages on this topic particularly impactful.

The heuristic-systematic processing model is proposed as an explanation, where "48 Hours" acted as a credibility cue, encouraging viewers to accept the information presented. The study suggests that the impact of credibility cues can extend beyond explicitly persuasive messages to those designed to inform.

The authors acknowledge potential limitations, including experimental demand (participants guessing the study's purpose) and the confounding of message sidedness with source credibility, as the two-sided message included a scientific authority while the one-sided one did not. They suggest that a two-sided message might naturally appear more responsible and believable.

Future research is recommended to explore the specific cognitive processes involved in attitude change, even from low-credibility sources, and to further isolate the effects of message sidedness versus source credibility.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on research related to communication, media effects, and the public's perception of various phenomena, including paranormal topics like UFOs. The editorial stance appears to be one of rigorous academic inquiry, employing experimental methods to understand how media content influences beliefs and attitudes. The publication seems to value empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks like the heuristic-systematic model to explain communication processes. There is an underlying concern for responsible journalism and the potential for media to shape public understanding, particularly on subjects where certainty is low.

This document, identified as page 293 of a publication titled "Does TV News Affect UFO Beliefs?", is dated October 2014 and is published by the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. It is written in English and appears to be part of a larger academic or research journal, indicated by the extensive reference list and the nature of the content.

Main Article: Does TV News Affect UFO Beliefs?

The article discusses the influence of media, particularly television news, on paranormal beliefs, with a specific focus on UFOs. It highlights that the results of an experiment converge with previous studies on media influence and paranormal beliefs, suggesting that there is a significant stake in understanding this domain. The author emphasizes the power of electronic communication to present compelling video segments that can sway beliefs, especially among viewers who are not critically engaged, a phenomenon referred to as 'infotainment'.

The core implication of the presented results is that if a news program fails to include a two-sided version of a story, viewers may form substantially different beliefs about its content. This finding is posited to have both theoretical and practical implications that warrant further in-depth research.

The article also details the methodology and notes of an experiment. Key points from the notes include:

• The movie discussed was broadcast on August 28th and September 4th, 1995, with FOX later broadcasting other segments related to an 'autopsy'.
• Three participants were eliminated from the study because they correctly identified the experiment's purpose.
• Electrodes were used for monitoring, and subjects were unaware that the monitoring had been deactivated, believing their physiology was still being tracked.
• All experimental procedures were approved by a University Human Subjects Committee.
• The time interval between pre- and post-viewing was designed to minimize sensitivity to the initial measure, aligning with test-retest reliability studies.
• There was no theoretical expectation that a suspenseful film shown prior to the news segment would affect UFO beliefs, as participants were randomly assigned, theoretically equalizing any effects of the film. A subsequent waiting period was intended to allow physiological arousal to subside before the news segment viewing.

References

A comprehensive list of references is provided, citing works from various researchers and publications, including:

• W. S. Bainbridge's "Chariots of the gullible" in The Skeptical Inquirer.
• Multiple works by S. Chaiken on heuristic versus systematic information processing and persuasion.
• Studies by G.G. Sparks and colleagues on the influence of televised paranormal events, UFO stories, and media impact on fright reactions and UFO beliefs.
• Research on the relationship between exposure to televised messages about paranormal phenomena and paranormal beliefs.

These references indicate a strong foundation in social psychology, communication studies, and skepticism research.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the significant influence of mass media, particularly television news, on shaping public beliefs, especially concerning paranormal phenomena like UFOs. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, emphasizing the need for rigorous research to understand these media effects and their implications for how individuals perceive reality. The inclusion of extensive references to skeptical publications and research on information processing suggests an underlying concern for the validity of beliefs and the mechanisms through which they are formed and influenced by media narratives.