Date of Award
12-2012
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Dr. Patric R. Spence
Second Advisor
Dr. Autumn Edwards
Third Advisor
Dr. Leah Omilion-Hodges
Keywords
EPPM, SIPT, user and gratification, social media, Twitter
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
The Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM; Witte, 1992) has been applied as a framework to examine risk information dissemination and effective sensation seeking in various health communication scenarios. Previous studies suggest that it is worth examining whether Twitter could have potential efficacy effects similar to face-to-face interaction or traditional media interventions. Given the overload and discrete information in the medium environment, people would adapt information processing short cuts, to tend to similar perceptions from various sources rather than reading specific messages.
The current study investigates the threat appeal perceptions of EPPM on system-generated and other-generated message cues in social media. An assumption raised was that people might acquire response efficacy through the number of retweets from the users. 219 participants were recruited for a 2 (high vs. low threat appeal) × 2 (numbers of retweets and replies presented vs. absent) posttest-only experiment. The results did not support the hypothesis. However, the study emphasized the importance of perceived severity and susceptibility for response efficacy perceptions. The manipulation limitations and applied implications are also discussed.
Recommended Citation
Lin, Xialing, "Can You Get Beliefs from Retweets? An Examination of the Extended Parallel Processing Model on Social Media" (2012). Masters Theses. 105.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/105