Browsing by Subject "persuasion"

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    For the Planet, the Animals, or Oneself? Measuring Individuals’ Motivations to Restrict Meat Consumption and Encouraging Dietary Change
    (2021-04) Scharmer, Alexandra
    Following a vegetarian or vegan diet is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes in health, environmental, and animal-welfare domains. Although the last three decades have produced a large amount of research examining the themes in vegetarians’ and vegans’ self-professed motives, there has been a dearth of quantitative research examining these motives and connecting these motives to psychological theories. In the present studies, I (1) develop a theoretically grounded conceptualization of motives to follow a plant-based diet, (2) create a psychometrically validated instrument with which to measure these motives, (3) expand these constructs to encapsulate omnivores’ motives for reducing their meat consumption, and (4) design a psychological intervention aimed at decreasing omnivores’ meat consumption using persuasive messages matched to individuals’ own motives for reducing meat consumption. I found that a four-factor model of motives (animal welfare, environmental, health, social) best describes the data and fits with functionalist theory. Then, I tested whether matching to these motives in omnivores resulted in greater intentions to reduce meat consumption, more negative attitudes towards meat, and selecting meat-free options for a hypothetical meal. I found limited evidence for a matching effect but did find some evidence that environmental appeals are generally more effective than other types of persuasive messages.
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    Influence of Gossip Media on Political Attitudes of Various Thinkers
    (2015-05-29) Yushchenko, Yekaterina; Miller, Joanne
    This study sought to look at how people of different levels of need for cognition are influenced by hidden political messages in gossip media. Results were collected by testing college students on their opinions on gun control and crime related issues before and after consuming a piece of biased gossip media, nonbiased gossip (control) media, and biased news media. This study found that high need for cognition people were influenced by biased media significantly more than those low in need for cognition. Despite the frivolous appearance of gossip media, this study found that both gossip and news media were significant influencers of opinion, but only for high need for cognition individuals and on separate issues.