Considering interacting factors in the third-person effect: Argument strength and social distance

This study explores the possible relationship among issue involvement, argument strength, and the third-person effect. The study examines Petty and Cacioppo's Elaboration Likelihood Model and the third-person effect hypothesis. The hypothesis in this laboratory experiment was that perceived issue involvement in others would interact with argument strength in a written persuasive message to affect the nature of the third-person effect. That is, it was hypothesized and found that people tend to believe that ''others'' will he more affected than themselves by a persuasive message that contains weak augmentation, but that ''others'' will be less affected than themselves by a persuasive message that contains strong argumentation.