Geipel, J, Hadjichristidis, C orcid.org/0000-0002-9441-6650, Savadori, L et al. (1 more author) (2023) Language Modality Influences Risk Perception: Innovations Read Well but Sound Even Better. Risk Analysis, 43 (3). pp. 558-570. ISSN 0272-4332
Abstract
Psychological theories implicitly assume that the modality in which information is conveyed—spoken or written—leaves judgment and choice unaltered. Modality is rarely considered in textbooks on judgment and decision making, and the selection of modality in research is often based on convenience. We challenge this theoretical assumption. Three experiments (N = 984) show that the modality in which novel technologies are described systematically influences their perceived risk and benefit. Participants either read or heard advantages and disadvantages of novel technologies and then assessed their risk and benefit. In Study 1, spoken descriptions prompted more positive evaluations toward the technologies in terms of overall risks and benefits than written descriptions. Studies 2 and 3 replicated this modality effect and demonstrated that affect partially explains it, as spoken descriptions induced more positive feelings toward the new technologies than written descriptions. Study 3 (preregistered) showed that the influence of modality is unique to novel technologies and does not extend to familiar ones. These findings contribute theoretically to the understanding of the relationship between language and thought, and carry implications for survey research and the use of voice assistant technology.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made |
Keywords: | affect heuristic, communication, innovation, modality, risk perception |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Business (Leeds) > Management Division (LUBS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 25 Feb 2022 11:51 |
Last Modified: | 22 Aug 2024 14:08 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/risa.13917 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:184017 |