Civil Defense Systems: Social Impact and ... - The Black Vault

UNCLASSIFIEDDDC REPORT BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH CONTROL NO* /ZMML7AD-631 613 5/1o 15/3MICHIGAN STATE UNIV EAST LANSING COLL OF COMMUNICATIONARTSTHE EFFECTS OF LOW CREDIBLE SOURCES ON MESSAGrACCEPTANCE: FOUR EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES INPERSUASION$(U)DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: FINAL REpTotMAR 66 37P GREENBERGBRADLEY So IMILLER9GERALD R. IREPT. NO. 6G'-1UNCLASSIFIED REPORTSUPPLEMENTARYNOTE:DESCRIPTORS: (*SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGYs oCIVIL DEFENSESYSTEMS), INFORMATION THEORY, SOURCES, ATTITUDES.PUBLIC OPINION, REACTION(PSYCHOLOGY), FALLOUTSHELTERSIU)THIS SERIES OF STUDIES PROVIDES EVIDENCE IN SuPPORTOF THE FOLLOWING PROPOSITIONS: (1) IF A MESSAGEIS TO BE TRANSMITTED TO AN AUDIENCE WHICH PERCEIVESTHE MESSAGE SOURCE AS RELATIVELY LO* IN CREDIBILITY,TME MESSAGE WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF THEIDEi4TIFICATION OF THE SOURCE IS DELAYED UNTIL AFTEREXPOSURE TO THE MESSAGEI (2) *HERE THE SOURCE OFA MESSAGE :5 LIKELY TO BE PERCEIVED AS RELATIVELY LOWIN CREDIBILITY, THE MESSAGE WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVEWITHOUT ANY IDENTIFIED SOURCE THAN WITH THE LOWCREDIBLL SOuRCEI (3) A MESSAGE WILL GENERALLY BEEFFECTIVE IN THE INTENDED MANNER, EVEN WITH A SOURCEPERCEIVED AS LO4 CREDIBLE. IN COMPARISON *ITH NOMESSAGE AT ALL: (4) WHEN THE SOURCE OF THEMESSAGE IS PERCEIVED BY SOME AUDIENCE AS HIGH INCREDIBILITY, THE MESSAGE 4ILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE IFTHE SOURCE IS IuENTIFIED BEFORE INDIVIDUALS AREEXPOSED TO THE mESSAGE. THESE FINDINGS ARECONFIRMED IN STUDIES DEALING 6ITH BOTH CIVIL oEFENSETOPICS UNRELATEu TO CIVIL DEFENSE, (AUTHOR) (U)67UNCLASSIFIED/ZMML7