Drinking in 140 Characters: Effects of Alcoholism Risk, Motivational Reactivity, and Racial Prejudice on Evaluations of Anti-Alcohol Tweets by Black and White Protagonists

DOI: 10.5176/2301-3710_JMComm13.06

Authors: Saleem Alhabash, Miglena Sternadori, Sookyong Kim and Jing Yang

Abstract:
A 2 (protagonist race: black vs. white) x 2 (protagonist gender: male vs. female) x 2 (repetition) mixed factorial experiment was used to investigate the effects of individual difference factors on the evaluations of anti-alcohol tweets. Participants (N = 204) were exposed to identical anti-alcohol tweets posted by either a black or white tweeter. The study explored the effects of the risk for alcoholism, motivational reactivity, and the internal and external motivations to withhold prejudice on attitudes toward the tweet, anti-alcohol attitudes, and viral behavioral intentions. Results indicated different patterns of effects of these individual difference factors on tweets’ evaluations as a function of protagonist race. Findings are discussed within the context of persuasion and stereotyping models.

Keywords: Twitter, alcohol, race, stereotypes, motivational reactivity, alcoholism risk