Effects of Media, Communicator, and Message Position on Attitude Change

This study examines the effects of medium, communicator, and message content on the persuasiveness of a communication. Subjects received either a television, radio, or written presentation which either agreed or disagreed with their initial position. The communicator was either a political candidate, a representative, a former representative, or a newscaster. The results indicated that the newscaster and former representative were considered most trustworthy, the representative next most trustworthy, and the candidate least trustworthy. Although there was no main effect for medium, the medium did interact with the source variable. Overall, television was the most effective medium for the newscaster and former representative but the least effective for the candidate.