The belief that individuals underestimate the impact media have on them personally but overestimate the impact media messages have on other people is called the
A) aggressive stimulation theory.
B) consistency theory.
C) third-person effect.
D) selective exposure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The third-person effect hypothesis suggests that people tend to believe that mass communicated media messages have a greater effect on others than on themselves, leading to an underestimation of the effect of media on themselves while overestimating its effect on others.

The Belief That Individuals Underestimate the Impact Media Have on Them