Persuasion in a Mediated Environment: Links as Endorsements
Open Access
Author:
DiMuzio, Eric J
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
S. Shyam Sundar, Thesis Supervisor Lori Ann Bedell, Thesis Honors Advisor S. Shyam Sundar, Thesis Supervisor
Keywords:
credibility endorsement SCRT
Abstract:
This study seeks to advance understanding of hyperlinks, specifically whether or not users are construing hyperlinks as implicit endorsements. A foundational, theoretical framework, Social Responses to Communication Technologies (SRCT), predicts that communicative norms are not necessarily abandoned when mediated. A receiver’s interpretation of endorsement is particularly linear in an unmediated setting; however, online, in an increasingly networked environment, fewer critical user assessments (source attribution, source credibility) are as simple as they once were. The results of a 2 (source credibility: low vs. high) x 2 (source proximity: proximate vs. distal) experiment (N = 864) reveal that participants may in fact be construing links as implicit endorsements. Implications for future research are discussed.
