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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
How Soft News Affects Attitudes And Behavior In 18-24 Year Olds, Kathryn E. Leary
How Soft News Affects Attitudes And Behavior In 18-24 Year Olds, Kathryn E. Leary
Honors Theses
In today’s media environment there are two different forms of news programs: hard news—news in the traditional sense of a newscast presenting the facts of an event—and soft news. The phenomenon of soft news is a hybrid of shows that mix politics with entertainment encompassing sensationalism and human-interest components when reporting on select high-profile political issues. An early form of this news type includes daytime talk shows such as Oprah to the now popular comedic faux news programs such as The Daily Show. The age bloc of 18-24 year olds has been considered the primary viewership of some soft news …
Following The Herd: An Economic Analysis Of The Effects Of Herd Mentality On The U.S. Housing Bubble, Michael P. Spicer
Following The Herd: An Economic Analysis Of The Effects Of Herd Mentality On The U.S. Housing Bubble, Michael P. Spicer
Honors Theses
One focus of economics in the recent years has been the integration of human behavior, including that of herd behavior, into economic thought. Herd behavior can be defined as the way that individuals, who have private information, end up acting together as a group inadvertently, without planned action. It is thought to be caused by incomplete information and subsequently information cascades. Does this behavior exist, and if it does, did it have any effect on the recent housing market? The last twelve years provide a good opportunity to test whether or not herd behavior exists in the housing market, and …
What's More Persuasive? How The Internet And Newspaper Change Opinions, Sloane E. Sheldon
What's More Persuasive? How The Internet And Newspaper Change Opinions, Sloane E. Sheldon
Honors Theses
The Internet has become an integral part of society. While people have been turning to the Internet for their news, newspapers are still a powerful source of information. This study investigates whether the newspaper or Internet is more effective at altering people’s opinions. Participants included people ranging from 18-78 years old. After reading a political endorsement that appeared to come from either a printed newspaper or a news website, participants rated their opinions on this candidate. When the message included strong arguments, the source of the article did not have an effect on how well the articles were able to …