Media priming can alter the foundations of presidential support

Evidence

One of the most solid, well-supported conclusions reached by experimental social and cognitive psychologists over the past two decades is that people are automatically (unconsciously) influenced by the presentation of environmental stimuli, including words, pictures, and persuasive messages (e.g., Bargh & Chartrand, 1999). The process of making concepts or ideas more accessible to an individual, without necessarily making the individual aware of the increased accessibility, is known as priming. Although most of the evidence concerning the effects of priming has come from tightly controlled laboratory studies, Krosnick and Kinder have explored the consequences of priming (again through repeated media coverage) in a more naturalistic setting. Their research led to the publication of an article that we have selected for this book’s eighth reading. In the article, Krosnick and Kinder demonstrate that, because of heightened accessibility brought on by media priming, embarrassing news coverage of a political scandal can in fact alter the foundations of support for the president. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1406 (#expands, via linked claim)

In sum, Experiments 1 and 2 furnish considerable, if imperfect, evidence for priming. The media’s agenda does seem to alter the standards people use in evaluating the president. Although the patterns are not as regular as we would like, priming also appears to follow the anticipated pattern. A president’s overall reputation, and, to a lesser extent, his apparent competence, both depend on the presentations of network news programs. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1482 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

This central claim of priming has been supported handsomely in a series of realistic experimental tests (Iyengar & Kinder, 1987; Iyengar et al., 1984; Iyengar, Peters, & Kinder, 1982). When primed by television news stories focusing on national defense, people judge the president largely by how well he has provided, as they see it, for the nation’s defense. When primed by stories about inflation, people evaluate the president by how he has managed, in their view, to keep prices down. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1576 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Media agenda shifts alter the political weight the public assigns to events over time — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 1626; Visual media presentation changes political persuasion outcomes.; Embarrassing media coverage erodes support for popular leaders. (+11 more)

Broader Connections

• Unconscious accessibility priming lets scandal coverage shift the foundations of presidential support #expands (0.98) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1406
• Media coverage alters the standards people use to evaluate the president #corroborates (0.96) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1482
• Television news priming shifts which criteria citizens use to rate presidents #corroborates (0.94) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1576