An approach for examining the third-person effect hypothesis

This book is based on the theoretical framework that third-person perceptions are largely influenced by motivational components and cognitive ability, which vary by perceivers (the self-based approach) and comparison targets (the other-based approach), and the relationship between them (the self-other relationship-based approach). Specifically, this book examines how third-person perception differs by comparison targets, called the other-based approach, when a specific group is exclusively relevant or irrelevant to a particular media message. The findings summarized this book have important implications for future studies about the relationship between the perceptual components and behavioral components of the third-person effect. In conclusion, communication researchers should account for the variance of the third-person perception by the comparison target when they predict which behavior to examine as a measurement of the behavior third-person effect.