Biasing public opinion: Computerized continuous response measurement displays impact viewers’ perceptions of media messages James B. Weaver III a, * , Inga Huck b , Hans-Bernd Brosius b a Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road, NE, Room 216, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States b Institut fuer Kommunikationswissenschaft und Medienforschung, Universitaet Muenchen, Germany article info Article history: Available online 25 July 2008 Keywords: Continuous response measurement Presidential debates Public opinion abstract Computerized displays of continuously acquired audience response measures have become an increas- ingly common component in television, particularly in political campaign media coverage. However, the effect of such presentations on consumer’s perceptions of both the presenters and their messages remain unclear. To address this concern, simulated computerized continuous response measurement (CRM) graphics were overlaid onto apolitical video content to produce three (negative, neutral, positive) experimental manipulations. The findings revealed considerable symmetry between the valence of the CRM graphics and research participant responses. Evaluations of the presenter and message were signif- icantly more negative following negative CRM graphic manipulation exposure (compared against the neutral and positive conditions) suggesting that CRM graphics can be a powerful device for influencing viewers’ judgments. Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Over the last two decades, computerized continuous response measurement (CRM) has developed as a research tool for tracking concurrent, real-time responses of individuals exposed to audio/vi- sual media messages. Using a ‘‘remote control” type device, re- search participants are encouraged to continuously evaluate an ongoing presentation and, depending on the instructions, to report various judgments such as likeability of performers or speakers, credibility of a viewpoint, viability of a story-line, etc. Producers and developers of media content (e.g. movies, television programs, and video games), media planners in advertising and public rela- tions, and academic researchers use data from CRM studies to eval- uate consumers’ immediate reactions to a range of message components and features (see Biocca, Prabu, & West, 1994; Maurer & Reinemann, 2003; Reinemann, Maier, Faas, & Maurer, 2005; Shapiro & Chock, 2003; West & Biocca, 1996). While CRM techniques and the corresponding results are com- monly used tools among researchers and media decision-makers, they have remained largely unknown to the general public. During the 2004 US presidential campaign, however, CRM graphic over- lays were – to our knowledge – first used as a vehicle to report public opinion about presidential candidates within TV news pro- grams. Presenting others’ perceptions by using a CRM graphic overlay can be viewed as making the ‘‘majority’s” opinion and judgments easily accessible for the viewers of a TV program. As op- posed to audio or text information, visual illustrations need less cognitive effort to be understood (cf. Lohse, 1993). It is therefore easier to grasp what other people think of the message or source. CRM illustrations might also generate a group feeling among the viewers who realize that other viewers share the viewing experi- ence with them. At this point, any consequences resulting from CRM overlaid presentations are largely unknown and – as far as we know – have not yet been researched. 1.1. CRM in contemporary television In network TV news programs, CRM graphic overlays were gi- ven prominence as indicators of public opinion during the 2004 presidential campaign. Following the third debate, for example, two ABC News programs featured CRM response graphics display- ing potential voters’ reactions to the comments of incumbent George W. Bush and challenger Senator John Kerry overlaid in real-time onto video images of the debate. Meridia’s continuous moment-to-moment polling system (called Audience Response Timeline Ò ) was used by Good Morning America and World News Tonight to capture the ever-changing opinions generated by a panel of ten ‘‘undecided” Pennsylvania voters as they watched the debate. Then, in subsequent broadcasts, both programs pre- sented video excerpts from the debate featuring a running timeline graph of the Pennsylvania sample’s responses aggregated and dis- played to show how each candidate fared in influencing voters’ opinions. 0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2008.06.004 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 770 375 6963. E-mail address: jweave8@sph.emory.edu (J.B. Weaver III). Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 50–55 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh