The Effect of Coherence on Instruction Following from News Outlets

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Media Studies
• Communication

Background:

• Coherent information is preferred over incoherent material, which can reduce source trust.
• Relational frame theory highlights coherence's role in rule-following, though prior research is confounded by extremity.
• Investigating speaker coherence in rule-following preferences is crucial for understanding media influence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of speaker coherence in rule-following preferences between newspaper outlets.
• To determine if coherence influences information adoption regardless of controversy.
• To explore the impact of coherence on perceived media credibility.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-four participants viewed four anonymized Irish newspaper articles, varying in coherence and controversy.
• Rule-following was measured by the likelihood of adopting new habits or following advice.
• Participants selected their preferred outlet for advice after the study.

Main Results:

• Participants showed greater rule-following preferences for coherent news outlets.
• This preference persisted irrespective of the material's perceived controversy.
• Speaker coherence significantly impacted perceived credibility.

Conclusions:

• Coherent news sources foster greater rule-following behavior.
• Speaker coherence is a key factor in media credibility, potentially mitigating polarization.
• Understanding coherence can inform strategies for more trustworthy media communication.