Not All Perceptual Gaps Were Created Equal: Explicating the Third-Person Perception (TPP) as a Cognitive Fallacy

Lijiang Shen*, Ye Sun, Zhongdang Pan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Explicating the third-person perception (TPP) as a cognitive fallacy in the process of comparative social judgment of media effects, we propose that not all self–other perceptual gaps in media effects should be considered as TPP. When there is reasonably valid and accurate information regarding self vis-à-vis others on media consumption and vulnerability to media influence, the associated self–other gaps in media effects are not exaggerations, hence, not TPP. TPP results from cognitive biases in information retrieval and application in the process of comparative social judgments. Such biases are in the forms of self-other information differential, assimilation, contrast, and anchoring effects. Caveats in interpretation of extant evidence and implications for future TPP research are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)399-424
JournalMass Communication and Society
Volume21
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jul 2018
Externally publishedYes

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