Public support for censorship in a highly regulated media environment: The influence of self-construal and third-person perception over time

• Main Authors: DETENBER, Benjamin H., ROSENTHAL, Sonny
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
• Subjects: Communication Technology and New Media
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cis_research/197; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/cis_research/article/1196/viewcontent/edw029__1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This study represents the first longitudinal examination of third-person effects and uses a rigorous specification of the relative contribution of perceptions of influence on self and others (viz., the diamond method). Using nationally representative samples from Singapore gathered in 2001 (n = 626) and 2013 (n = 1,012), it examines perceptions of sex and nudity in films, content that the government allows but regulates. As expected, interdependent self-construal and third-person perceptions predicted support for censorship, as did perceived total media influence. The pattern of prediction was quite consistent with a slight increase in support for censorship. The discussion considers implications with respect to both the social landscape and an evolving media landscape.