Effects of experts' comments on the causal and intentional attributions of the news paper readers

Abstract

In the first study, subjects of two groups read a news item reporting about an 'infant murder' with experts comments. One group received comments stressing the intent of the infant to commit murder (Intent comment), the other, comments emphasizing parents' responsibility for taking care of the child (Parents comment). Subjects of the control group read the item without comments. Each subject of the three groups was randomly assigned to receive either the high or low source credibility conditions (Credibility conditions). The main effects of comments, and comments × source credibility interaction effects were significant. In the low source credibility conditions, comments had no effects on subjects' causal judgments. However, in high source credibility condition, Intent comment made subjects attribute the strongest responsibility to the infant of the three comments conditions. In the second study, subjects read the news with Intent comment paired with Parents comment. They made intermediate attributions between Intent comment and Control conditions. Importance of source credibility of mass media and expert comment focusing on intent of the person concerned were discussed.