Effects of Preparatory Communications on Reactions to a Subsequent News Event

Conclusion-drawing, communicator credibility, and anxiety as factors in opinion change.

“…factors in communication effectiveness as initial position (5,11,14,19), induced motivation (10,23) and personality attributes of the communicatees (8,10,22). The present research examines both initial position 6 and anxiety as predispositional factors interacting with the main variables of conclusion-drawing and source credibility.…”

“…A response to an opinion item whose sense indicated that the U.S. could defend itself adequately against biological warfare or that biological warfare vas not a 11 super 11 weapon, was assigned a score of one. The selection of the "uncertain" category received a score of two.…”

“…Remember, a 11 super 11 weapoh is one which cannot be defended against. If strong, sound defenses can be prepared to drastically reduce the destructive potential of a weapon, then that weapon is not a "super 11 weapon.…”

“…All attacks on m&l using biological weapons rely on what is called the "natural spread 11 of disease. Natural spread simply means that some germs are easily spread from one person to another; if you infect some people with a disease, it will spread to others.…”

“…The present research examines both initial position 6 and anxiety as predispositional factors interacting with the main variables of conclusion-drawing and source credibility. Audience anxiety has been shown to be of importance in the opinion change process under certain conditions (8,9,10,11). It is examined here in its relationship with an anxiety-allaying communication.…”