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Priming Theory and Ras Models

Toward an Integrated Perspective of Media Influence

Indiana State University

Todd G. Shields

University of Arkansas

Mark Peffley

University of Kentucky

Contemporary political science research into the effects of the mass media has focused largely on either priming theory or Receive, Accept, and Sample (RAS) models but rarely on both simultaneously. The separation of the two approaches is unfortunate because the predictions generated by the two theoretical perspectives are not mutually exclusive, and research may benefit greatly from a more integrated perspective. In the present study, we demonstrate how each perspective contributes to an understanding of changes in presidential approval during the 1992 presidential elections. We then present evidence demonstrating that both media priming and attitude change occur simultaneously. As such, research focusing solely on priming theory or research focusing solely on attitude change necessarily underestimates the total influence of the mass media on individual-level attitudes.

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