Abstract
This Independent Study investigates the effect of celebrity endorsements on public opinion. More specifically, I look at source credibility as a factor that affects the relationship between celebrity political statements and public support for paid parental leave. I hypothesize that, although a number of things could contribute toward celebrity endorsements affecting public opinion, credibility and gender have the most influence on change of opinions toward a particular political issue. My argument is that the more credible the public views the source, the more likely the public is to follow that issue position. If the public views the source to be less credible it is less likely the public will follow that issue position. I ran an experiment to test my hypothesis and my findings suggest that source credibility affects celebrity endorsements specifically on the dimension of trustworthiness.
Advisor
van Doorn, Bas
Department
Political Science
Recommended Citation
Rickey, Laura K., "The Case of the Gyllenhaal's: The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Public Opinion" (2018). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 8004.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/8004
Disciplines
American Politics
Publication Date
2018
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2018 Laura K. Rickey