Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Influence Of Source-Message Incongruence On Source Trustworthiness And Attitudes Regarding Hazardous Waste Cleanup Decisions, Lori Garner Manes

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Research has shown that when a source proffers a message that is incongruent with its expected position on a topic, it can have an effect on the perceived trustworthiness of the communicator, the persuasiveness of the message, and the extent to which the receiver elaborates the message. However, research in this area has not been consistent. Questions remain as to whether sourcemessage incongruence enhances source trustworthiness, attitude change, or both, relative to source-message congruence. Focusing on an environmental risk management context involving the cleanup of a hazardous waste site, this research investigated how source-message incongruence influenced perceptions of source trustworthiness, …