TY - JOUR
AU - Greenberg, Bradley, S.
AB - Abstract This study investigated the consequences of increased levels of expressed message intensity on receivers' subsequent evaluations of the source and topic of the message, in addition to their perceptions of the message itself. A basic message was prepared in which a previously neutral source attacked a relatively low-salience topic. The intensity with which the source stated his attitudinal position was systematically varied by the alternative insertion of verbs and modifiers of known intensive value. This created two experimental messages, one of low intensity, the other of high intensity. Subjects read one of the messages and responded via rating scales. Obtained results provided partial support for the experimental hypotheses, in that the high intensity message was judged as clearer and its source as more dynamic than the low intensity message. A secondary analysis based solely on perceived message intensity conformed even more closely to the experimental predictions. Messages rated as being highly intense were also rated as clearer and more logical, and having sources who were judged to be more trustworthy, more qualified and more dynamic. References 1 Bowers , John W. Language Intensity, Social Introversion and Attitude Change . Speech Monographs 30 : 345 – 52 , 1963 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 2 Bowers , John W. Some Correlates of Language Intensity . Quarterly Journal of Speech 50 : 415 – 20 , 1964 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 3 Carmichael , Carl W. and Gary Lynn Cronkhite. Frustration and Language Intensity . Speech Monographs 32 : 107 – 11 , 1965 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 4 Carroll , John B. Vectors of Prose Style .” In Style in Language (Edited by Thomas A. Sebeok). Cambridge , Mass. : M. I. T. Press , 1960 , p. 283 – 92 . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC 5 Cliff , Norman. Adverbs as Multipliers . Psychological Review 66 : 27 – 44 , 1959 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 6 Dodd , Stuart C. and Thomas R. Gerbrick. Word Scales for Degrees of Opinion . Language and Speech 3 : 18 – 31 , 1960 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 7 Hovland , Carl I. and Henry A. Pritzker. Extent of Opinion Change and Amount of Change Advocated . Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 54 : 257 – 61 , 1957 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 8 Howe , Edmund S. Probabilistic Adverbial Qualification of Adjectives . Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 1 : 225 – 42 , 1962 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 9 Howe , Edmund S. Verb Tense, Negatives, and Other Determinants of the Intensity of Evaluative Meaning . Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 5 : 147 – 55 , 1966 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 10 Kochevar , John J. The Effects of Message Intensity on Evaluations of the Source, the Message and the Topic . Master's thesis. East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1967 . 11 McEwen , William J. and Bradley S. Greenberg. The Effects of Communication Assertion Intensity . Journal of Communication 19 : 257 – 65 , 1969 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 12 McGuire , William J. Inducing Resistance to Persuasion .” In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Edited by Leonard Berkowitz). Vol. I . New York : Academic Press , 1964 , p. 191 – 229 . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC 13 Osgood , Charles E. The Representational Model and Relevant Research Methods .” In Trends in Content Analysis (Edited by Ithiel de Sola Pool). Urbana , Ill. : University of Illinois , 1959 , p. 33 – 88 . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC 14 Osgood , Charles E. , and Perey H. Tannenbaum. The Principle of Congruity in the Prediction of Attitude Change . Psychological Review 62 : 42 – 55 , 1955 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 15 Thompson , Wendel L. Message Intensity as a Variable in the Application of the Congruity Principle and Message Discrepancy Theory . Doctoral dissertation. Iowa City : University of Iowa , 1965 . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC This content is only available as a PDF. © 1970 International Communication Association
TI - The Effects of Message Intensity on Receiver Evaluations of Source, Message and Topic
JF - Journal of Communication
DO - 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1970.tb00892.x
DA - 1970-12-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/the-effects-of-message-intensity-on-receiver-evaluations-of-source-YcMO6xvqQ2
SP - 340
EP - 350
VL - 20
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -