1. Defining the Third-Person Effect (Understanding the Third-Person Effect‪)‬

Davison (1983) defines the third-person effect hypothesis as the likelihood that "individuals who are members of an audience that is exposed to a persuasive communication (whether or not this communication is intended to be persuasive) will expect the communication to have a greater effect on others than on themselves" (p. 3). The measurement of the third-person effect typically involves asking people two different types of questions, one focused on the perceptions of the influence of media on oneself, and the other on the perceptions of influence of the media on others. A third-person effect is found if people report that others are influenced more than they themselves are by the mass media.