Trusting the Facts: The Role of Framing, News Media as a (Trusted) Source, and Opin-ion Resonance for Perceived Truth in Statistical Statements

Hajo Boomgaarden; Elina Lindgren; Torun Lindholm; Rens Vliegenthart; Alyt Damstra; Jesper Strömbäck; Yariv Tsfati

doi:10.1177/10776990221117117

Trusting the Facts: The Role of Framing, News Media as a (Trusted) Source, and Opin-ion Resonance for Perceived Truth in Statistical Statements

Hajo Boomgaarden
, Elina Lindgren (Korresp. Autor*in)
, Torun Lindholm
, Rens Vliegenthart
, Alyt Damstra
, Jesper Strömbäck
, Yariv Tsfati

Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Scholars have raised concerns that on many issues, citizens are reluctant to trust factual evidence and statistics. One factor that has been shown to impact the perceived truth in statistics is how they are presented, where negatively framed statistics are perceived as truer than positive. This study explores when this bias applies and not. Results from a survey experiment confirm the presence of a negativity bias in truth perceptions, but also that effects are heterogeneous and moderated by, in particular, the recipients’ preexisting opinions. These findings provide valuable information to public actors responsible for disseminating factual information to diverse publics.

Originalsprache	Englisch
Seiten (von - bis)	981-1004
Seitenumfang	24
Fachzeitschrift	Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
Jahrgang	101
Ausgabenummer	4
Frühes Online-Datum	18 Aug. 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990221117117
Publikationsstatus	Veröffentlicht - Dez. 2024

Fördermittel

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) for the advancements of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Grant No: M18-0310:1). The authors are also grateful to the editors and the anonymous reviewers of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly for their feedback and comments on the manuscript, and to the Laboratory of Opinion Research (LORE) at University of Gothenburg, for their assistance with data collection. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work is part of the research project \u2018Knowledge Resistance: Causes, Consequences, Cures,\u2019 funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond for the Advancement of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) for the advancements of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Grant No: M18-0310:1). The authors are also grateful to the editors and the anonymous reviewers of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly for their feedback and comments on the manuscript, and to the Laboratory of Opinion Research (LORE) at University of Gothenburg, for their assistance with data collection.

ÖFOS 2012

508007 Kommunikationswissenschaft

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10.1177/10776990221117117Lizenz: CC BY 4.0

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abstract = "Scholars have raised concerns that on many issues, citizens are reluctant to trust factual evidence and statistics. One factor that has been shown to impact the perceived truth in statistics is how they are presented, where negatively framed statistics are perceived as truer than positive. This study explores when this bias applies and not. Results from a survey experiment confirm the presence of a negativity bias in truth perceptions, but also that effects are heterogeneous and moderated by, in particular, the recipients{\textquoteright} preexisting opinions. These findings provide valuable information to public actors responsible for disseminating factual information to diverse publics.",

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Trusting the Facts: The Role of Framing, News Media as a (Trusted) Source, and Opin-ion Resonance for Perceived Truth in Statistical Statements. / Boomgaarden, Hajo; Lindgren, Elina (Korresp. Autor*in); Lindholm, Torun et al.
in: Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Band 101, Nr. 4, 12.2024, S. 981-1004.

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

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AU - Boomgaarden, Hajo

AU - Lindgren, Elina

AU - Lindholm, Torun

AU - Vliegenthart, Rens

AU - Damstra, Alyt

AU - Strömbäck, Jesper

AU - Tsfati, Yariv

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AB - Scholars have raised concerns that on many issues, citizens are reluctant to trust factual evidence and statistics. One factor that has been shown to impact the perceived truth in statistics is how they are presented, where negatively framed statistics are perceived as truer than positive. This study explores when this bias applies and not. Results from a survey experiment confirm the presence of a negativity bias in truth perceptions, but also that effects are heterogeneous and moderated by, in particular, the recipients’ preexisting opinions. These findings provide valuable information to public actors responsible for disseminating factual information to diverse publics.

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KW - opinion resonance

KW - perceived truth in statistical statements

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Trusting the Facts: The Role of Framing, News Media as a (Trusted) Source, and Opin-ion Resonance for Perceived Truth in Statistical Statements

Abstract

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ÖFOS 2012

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