The Role of News source on Individuals Persuasion with Moderation of Attitude to News source, Gender and Self-esteem

This study was performed to determine the role of news source on Individuals’ Persuasion with Moderation of Attitude to News source, and Self-esteem. The statistical population of this study included all sophomore and junior B.A students who were studying in Tabriz University from 2011-2012. Through multi-stage cluster random sampling, 4 faculties were selected, then two classes in each faculty were selected by the same way, i.e. totally 307 individuals participated in this study. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale and an attitude questionnaire were accomplished in each class. After all the participants answered the questionnaire about attitude on news source, the researcher asked them to watch a video which had two different versions with different logos but the same content and was made by the researchers. Then participants were asked to do the second questionnaire on persuasion. Chi Square test results indicated that news sources did have difference with each other in persuasion rate. Also, Self-Esteem rate is effective in persuasion rate so that individuals with low self-esteem show higher persuasion rate. The results show that those who had positive attitude to the news source had higher persuasion rate while the opposite case had lower one. In addition, the research results represented that persuasion rate is different in both genders and females are persuaded more than males.