Publication Date

12-1978

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Carley Dodd, Larry Caillouet, John O'Connor

Degree Program

Department of Communication

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

Based on past findings in the area of order effects in persuasion, the purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of the receiver characteristics of sex, self-esteem, and dogmatism, message relevance, and order of presentation upon attitude change and recall. The study analyzed category differences and multivariate relationships. Interesting results were attained. Males high in esteem and dogmatism were not as easily persuaded as females high in esteem and dogmatiam. Females high in esteem responded with a significant primacy effect, while females low in esteem responded with a significant recency effect. Subjects low in dogmatism recalled more than subjects high in dogmatism. Subjects in the irrelevant message condition recalled more and were persuaded to a greater degree than subjects in the relevant condition. Recall scores did not correlate highly with attitude change scores. Finally, the stepwise multiple regression equation revealed a small amount of variation explained by the five predictor variables.

Based on application of theoretical assumptions and models designed to predict primacy and recency to the results achieved, the need for future research to follow the variables approach to the issue became apparent.

Disciplines

Communication | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Interpersonal and Small Group Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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