Beyond the Notion of Accessibility Bias: Message Content as the Common Source of Agenda-Setting and Priming Effects

Journal article

Byunggu Lee, Jiawei Liu, Hyesun Choung, D. McLeod
2020

Cite

APA Click to copy
Lee, B., Liu, J., Choung, H., & McLeod, D. (2020). Beyond the Notion of Accessibility Bias: Message Content as the Common Source of Agenda-Setting and Priming Effects.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Lee, Byunggu, Jiawei Liu, Hyesun Choung, and D. McLeod. “Beyond the Notion of Accessibility Bias: Message Content as the Common Source of Agenda-Setting and Priming Effects” (2020).

MLA Click to copy
Lee, Byunggu, et al. Beyond the Notion of Accessibility Bias: Message Content as the Common Source of Agenda-Setting and Priming Effects. 2020.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{byunggu2020a,
  title = {Beyond the Notion of Accessibility Bias: Message Content as the Common Source of Agenda-Setting and Priming Effects},
  year = {2020},
  author = {Lee, Byunggu and Liu, Jiawei and Choung, Hyesun and McLeod, D.}
}

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the cognitive mechanisms behind agenda-setting and priming effects. Recent evidence suggessts that accessibility effects within network models of memory are not well suited to explain agenda-setting and priming effects. This article attempts to provide additional evidence regarding the roles of issue accessibility and message content in agenda-setting and priming processes. Our findings indicate that changes in issue accessibility are not a sufficient condition for agenda-setting and priming effects. Instead, the content of mediated messages that validates an issue as a matter of public concern is shown to be the primary explanation of agenda-setting and priming effects. Different psychological processes observed in social psychological studies and political communication studies as well as theoretical relationships between agenda setting and priming are discussed.