Agenda-Setting Effects and Attitude Strength

Abstract

This study examined the consequences of agenda-setting effects for attitudes toward political figures during the 1996 presidential election. In particular, guided by the literature from agenda setting, attitude strength, and the hierarchy of effects, the analysis tested hypotheses about the relationships among media coverage, public salience, and the strength of public attitudes regarding a set of 11 political figures. The findings indicate that increased media attention to political figures is correlated with higher levels of public salience and attitude strength. In addition, multivariate tests showed that one dimension of attitude strength, dispersion of opinions, mediated the relationship between media coverage and public salience. The implications of the results are also discussed.