Third-person effect
The third-person effect is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that other people are more affected by media messages than they are themselves. This perception can lead people to overestimate the influence of media on others while underestimating its effect on themselves.
How it works
The third-person effect operates on the assumption that people have a self-serving bias, believing they are less susceptible to persuasion and media influence compared to others. This often results in the perception that media has a strong impact on the attitudes and behaviors of 'third persons' but not themselves, thus creating a psychological distance.
Examples
- In politics, a person may doubt that campaign advertisements affect their own voting decisions, yet believe these ads strongly sway other voters.
- A parent might think violent video games could increase aggression in other children while believing that their child is immune to such influence.
Consequences
The third-person effect can lead to support for censorship or regulation of media content due to the belief that others need protection from perceived negative influences. Additionally, it can result in overlooking one's susceptibility to media, thus preventing critical self-reflection about personal media consumption habits.
Counteracting
Counteracting the third-person effect involves increasing media literacy, encouraging individuals to critically evaluate how media messages could be influencing their beliefs and behaviors. It also requires promoting self-awareness and encouraging open discussions about media influence and its broader societal impact.
Critiques
Critiques of the third-person effect include debates about its universality and varying degrees of impact based on individual differences, such as media literacy levels and personal experiences. There's also discussion about whether it may overlap with other biases, such as the optimism bias or the self-serving bias.
Fields of Impact
Also known as
Relevant Research
The Third-Person Effect in Communication
Davison, W. P. (1983)
Public Opinion Quarterly
The Third-Person Effect: A Critical Review and Synthesis
Perloff, R. M. (1999)
Media Psychology
Case Studies
Real-world examples showing how Third-person effect manifests in practice
Context
A mid-sized city's public health department monitored growing anti-vaccine content on social media during an early-spring measles season. Leadership felt confident that most local parents were rational and well-informed, while assuming the real danger was that people in other neighborhoods or online communities would be swayed.
Situation
Faced with rising misinformation posts, the department produced a single, broadly worded press release and posted general educational graphics to its social channels rather than launching targeted outreach. They prioritized speed and scale of messaging over tailored engagement with vulnerable subcommunities.
The Bias in Action
Decision-makers exhibited the third-person effect by assuming that the misinformation would affect "other" parents more than their own population — they believed their local community would see through scare tactics. That belief reduced perceived urgency for micro-targeted interventions (e.g., door-to-door outreach, clinics in high-risk neighborhoods, or partnering with local faith and school leaders). They also discounted anecdotal reports from school nurses as isolated rather than symptomatic of wider persuasion. Because they underestimated how persuasive the online content could be for their own residents, resources were allocated to one-size-fits-all messaging instead of rapid, localized countermeasures.
Outcome
Over the next six weeks, vaccination appointment bookings in two adjacent neighborhoods declined noticeably and a cluster of measles cases emerged in schools serving those neighborhoods. The city required emergency vaccination clinics and temporary school exclusions to contain spread, incurring unplanned costs and community disruption.