Research Question 1: Does perceived self-interest of a source affect trust in the message?
Previous research has found that sources with a vested interest in the argument are trusted less than sources who do not have a vested interest in the argument.
i.e., IV_VestedInterest → DV_Trust
To test your hypothesis, you will conduct a t-test.
Research Question 2: Does the effect of vested interest on trust in the message depend on Epistemic preference?
This question addresses whether the impact of perceived vested interest of the source is the same for individuals low versus high in IP.
i.e., Compare
IV_VestedInterest → DV_Trust for High IP with
IV_VestedInterest → DV_Trust for Low IP
To test your hypothesis, you will split the data file according to IV_IP, and conduct ttests.
Research Question 4: Does the relationship between perceptions of trust in the message and concern over climate change depend on Epistemic Preference?
This question addresses whether epistemic preference strengthens or weakens the relationship between trust in the message and general concern over climate change.
i.e., Compare
Correlation between DV_Trust and DV_Concern for High IP with
Correlation between DV_Trust and DV_Concern for Low IP
To test your hypothesis, you will split the data file according to IV_IP, and run correlations.