Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Can innuendos in headlines affect perceptions?

G Leventhal1, S J Gray

  • 1Psychology Department, William Paterson College, Wayne, NJ 07470.

Psychological Reports
|December 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Evidence for a Spectral Break or Curvature in the Spectrum of Astrophysical Neutrinos from 5 TeV to 10 PeV.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Search for Extremely-High-Energy Neutrinos and First Constraints on the Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Proton Fraction with IceCube.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Measurement of Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillation Parameters Using Convolutional Neural Networks with 9.3 Years of Data in IceCube DeepCore.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Search for an eV-Scale Sterile Neutrino Using Improved High-Energy ν_{μ} Event Reconstruction in IceCube.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Observation of Seven Astrophysical Tau Neutrino Candidates with IceCube.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Dry potato extracts improve water holding capacity, shelf life, and sensory characteristics of fresh and precooked beef patties.

Meat science·2018
Same journal

Continued Influence Effect: A Three-Dimensional Framework Shaping Practical and Theoretical Perspectives.

Psychological reports·2026
Same journal

ADHD Symptoms, Interpersonal Functioning, and Sexual Orientation in Undergraduate Adults.

Psychological reports·2026
Same journal

Emotion Regulation, Impulsivity, and Cluster B Personality Disorders.

Psychological reports·2026
Same journal

Physical Activity and Social Anxiety in Highly Sensitive Individuals: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal.

Psychological reports·2026
Same journal

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Children's Prosocial Behaviors in a Preschool Setting (CPBPS).

Psychological reports·2026
Same journal

"Advances in Public & Social Psychology" Special Session of WPMH2026.

Psychological reports·2026
See all related articles

Innuendos in news headlines did not impact memory or attitudes. Instead, reader identification and stereotyping influenced how college students perceived news stories and their subjects.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Media Studies
  • Communication

Background:

  • Headlines play a crucial role in shaping public perception of news.
  • The use of innuendo in headlines may subtly influence reader interpretation and recall.
  • Understanding these effects is vital for media literacy and critical consumption of information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of innuendos in news headlines on college students' memory and attitudes.
  • To determine if headline innuendos affect perceptions of responsibility and sentencing.
  • To explore the influence of identification and stereotyping on news processing.

Main Methods:

  • 67 male and 81 female college students participated in the study.
  • Participants read simulated news articles with varying headline types (innuendo vs. neutral).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Memory recall, attitude ratings, and perceptions of responsibility/sentencing were measured.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant main or interactive effects of innuendo-containing headlines were found on memory, responsibility ratings, or sentencing.
    • Reader identification with characters and pre-existing stereotypes significantly affected memory and attitudes.
    • The presence of innuendo in headlines did not alter participants' recall or judgments.

    Conclusions:

    • Innuendos in headlines do not appear to directly influence memory or attitudes in this college student sample.
    • Identification and stereotyping are more potent factors in shaping how individuals process and react to news content.
    • Further research could explore these effects in diverse populations or with different types of media content.