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The Role of Ego Enhancement and Perceived Message Exposure in Third-Person Judgments Concerning Violent Video GamesWest Chester University, Pennsylvania
University of Wisconsin -Madison
University of Wisconsin -Madison Ego enhancement has been offered as the psychological mechanism that drives differences in judgments about effects on self and others. This study employs a three-cell (ego threat, ego enhancement, and control) experimental design to test the validity of the ego-enhancement argument in explaining the third-person perception and related outcomes (e.g., support for government control). Findings indicate that although ego enhancement does not appear to directly influence either third-person perception or its relationship to support for government control, it does play a moderating role in regulating the relationship between perceived effects and support for controls, especially in the case of perceived effects on others. Specifically, the ego-enhancement condition effectively muted the relationship between estimates of effects and support for government control. Implications of these findings and directions for further research are also discussed.
Key Words: third-person perception perceived media effects ego enhancement support for censorship
This version was published on October
1, 2008 American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 52, No. 2,
165-185 (2008) |
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