Does Movie or Video Game Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You Look at and When

This article presents 2 studies of the association of media violence rates with societal violence rates. In the first study, movie violence and homicide rates are examined across the 20th century and into the 21st (1920–2005). Throughout the mid‐20th century small‐to‐moderate correlational relationships can be observed between movie violence and homicide rates in the United States. This trend reversed in the early and latter 20th century, with movie violence rates inversely related to homicide rates. In the second study, videogame violence consumption is examined against youth violence rates in the previous 2 decades. Videogame consumption is associated with a decline in youth violence rates. Results suggest that societal consumption of media violence is not predictive of increased societal violence rates.     

What is a Spectrum Hole and What Does it Take to Recognize One?

“Spectrum holes” represent the potential opportunities for noninterfering (safe) use of spectrum and can be considered as multidimensional regions within frequency, time, and space. The main challenge for secondary radio systems is to be able to robustly sense when they are within such a spectrum hole. To allow a unified discussion of the core issues in spectrum sensing, the “weighted probability of area recovered” (WPAR) metric is introduced to measure the performance of a sensing strategy; and the “fear of harmful interference” $F_{rm HI}$ metric is introduced to measure its safety. These metrics explicitly consider the impact of asymmetric uncertainties (and misaligned incentives) in the system model. Furthermore, they allow a meaningful comparison of diverse approaches to spectrum sensing unlike the traditional triad of sensitivity, probability of false-alarm $P_{rm FA}$, and probability of missed-detection $P_{rm MD}$. These new metrics are used to show that fading uncertainty forces the WPAR performance of single-radio sensing algorithms to be very low for small values of $F_{rm HI}$, even for ideal detectors. Cooperative sensing algorithms enable a much higher WPAR, but only if users are guaranteed to experience independent fading. Lastly, in-the-field calibration for wide-band (but uncertain) environment variables (e.g., interference and shadowing) can robustly guarantee safety (low $F_{rm HI}$ ) even in the face of potentially correlated users without sacrificing WPAR.      

Does Multitasking Increase or Decrease Persuasion? Effects of Multitasking on Comprehension and Counterarguing

This study examined the effects of multitasking on persuasion, including comprehension and counterarguing of persuasive messages, which were presented in three different contexts: (a) nonmultitasking with full attention paid to the message, (b) multitasking with primary attention paid to the message, and (c) multitasking with secondary attention paid to the message. Consistent with predictions, the results suggested that multitasking reduced the actual and perceived levels of comprehension and also reduced counterarguing. The implications for research on persuasion are further discussed.     

How Does Interactivity Persuade? An Experimental Test of Interactivity on Cognitive Absorption,Elaboration, and Attitudes

We explore theoretical mechanisms by which the interactivity of a medium enhances the persuasive potential of messages, by investigating the effects of 2 different types of website interactivity—modality interactivity and message interactivity—on the nature of user engagement with messages. In a 3 (Message Interactivity: High/Medium/Low) × 2 (Modality Interactivity: Slider/Control) factorial experiment (N = 167), we discovered that modality interactivity led to more positive assessment of the interface and greater cognitive absorption, contributing to more favorable attitudes toward the website and even toward the antismoking messages. However, it reduced the amount of message‐related thoughts. In contrast, message interactivity enhanced message elaboration, leading to more positive attitudes among those with low involvement in the message topic.     

What Is Second Screening? Exploring Motivations of Second Screen Use and Its Effect on Online Political Participation

This study focuses on second screening for news, a hybrid media process that combines watching news on television and a second, web‐connected screen (i.e., smart‐phone, laptop). Based on U.S.‐national, 2‐wave panel data, the paper (a) examines people's motivations to engage in second screen use, and then (b) advances the relationship between second screening and online political behaviors. Discussing and pursuing further information are both central motivations for second screen use. Furthermore, results suggest second screening for news is a significant predictor of online political participation and a key link between TV news and political engagement as this relationship is fully mediated. The study advances theoretically and empirically ways in which an informed public opinion may partake of a more engaged democracy.     

What drives purchase intention on Airbnb? Perspectives of consumer reviews,information quality,and media richness

The owners of idle assets and their potential users create economic benefits through providing or sharing idle assets or skills, and this process has been formalized and monetized at large scales by companies such as Uber, Airbnb, USpace and others. This research seeks to understand the factors affecting the purchase intention on Airbnb users in terms of five key factors: rating, rating volume, review, information quality, and media richness. ANOVA and path analysis are used to test the relationships of these factors with perceived value, satisfaction and purchase intention. Results indicate that perceived value and satisfaction are key determinants of intention to buy, while rating volume, review, information quality, and media richness are important precursors. In addition, gender and usage experiences with Airbnb are also used to classify the sample to assess the difference between each classification. The results of this study can provide a useful reference to researchers and firms and individuals working in the sharing economy.     

How Does Insightful and Emotional Disclosure Bring Potential Health Benefits? Study Based on Online Support Groups for Women With Breast Cancer

Building upon 2 theoretical models (the cognitive adaptation model and the emotional exposure–habituation model), this research focused on 2 aspects of disclosure content—insights and emotions—and examined how women with breast cancer benefit from written disclosure in online support groups. Using survey data collected at baseline and after 4 months and messages posted in bulletin‐board‐type online groups in between, we analyzed how the content of disclosive messages predicted health outcomes. Disclosure of insights led to greater improvements in health self‐efficacy, emotional well‐being, and functional well‐being, which was mediated by lowered breast cancer concerns. Disclosure of negative emotions had no main effects on health outcomes, but weakened the unfavorable association between concerns at baseline and functional well‐being at follow‐up.     

When Do People Misrepresent Themselves to Others? The Effects of Social Desirability,Ground Truth,and Accountability on Deceptive Self‐Presentations

Following Leary's (1995) impression management model, three experiments assessed factors that affect deceptive self‐presentations of height and weight. One experiment examined the role of biased cognitive processing. It revealed interactions between biased scanning—focusing on one's own socially desirable characteristics—and participants' sex that affected discrepancies between actual and self‐reported height/weight. Another investigated the effect of establishing ground truth prior to self‐assessment. It determined that exposure to one's actual measures (ground truth) prior to self‐report reduced inaccuracy. The third examined the role of perceived accountability. It found that anticipation of being measured reduced discrepant self‐reports. Results suggest that psychological and social processes provide higher‐order explanations for distorted self‐presentations of the kind that other studies have attributed to specific goals and sociotechnological factors.     

Does social media use really make people politically polarized? Direct and indirect effects of social media use on political polarization in South Korea

To help inform the debate over whether social media is related to political polarization, we investigated the effects of social media use on changes in political view using panel data collected in South Korea (N?=?6411) between 2012 and 2016. We found that, although there were no direct effects of social media use, social media indirectly contributed to polarization through increased political engagement. Those who actively used social network sites were more likely to engage in political processes, which led them to develop more extreme political attitudes over time than those who did not use social network sites. In particular, we observed a clear trend toward a more liberal direction among both politically neutral users and moderately liberal users. In this study, we highlight the role of social media in activating political participation, which eventually pushes the users toward the ideological poles. The implications of these findings are discussed.