Brett Sherrick

Adver-Where? Comparing the Effectiveness of Banner Ads and Video Ads in Online Video Games

ABSTRACT Banner ads, video ads, and advergames constitute a large portion of online gaming spending, yet no prior research has incorporated them simultaneously to determine if any separate or joint effects exist, and if so to what extent. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to test the effects of ad types on brand recall and attitude within two different but very common game settings (advergame or nonbranded game). Study 1 found that preroll video ads outperformed banner ads quite robustly in the nonbranded game, but these effects dissipated in the advergame. Building on these findings, Study 2 manipulated the location of video ads. The midroll ad position was more influential than the preroll and no-ad conditions, followed by the postroll position, thereby indicating a modest pattern of recency effects, especially in the nonbranded game. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The effect of explicit online comment moderation on three spiral of silence outcomes

This study investigates the effect of news sites’ explicit online comment moderation policies on spiral of silence (SOS) outcome variables. It advances the methodological understanding of SOS research by comparing the traditional willingness-to-share variable to more direct measures of attitudes. The results of two studies show that a one-sided editorial and comments generally silenced the opposition, particularly when participants were asked to provide their own comment. This finding suggests that open-ended comments may best measure SOS effects. With the inclusion of explicit comment moderation, however, participants were less likely to agree with the editorial as evidenced by their closed-ended attitudes.

The Effects of Media Effects Third-Person Effects, the Influence of Presumed Media Influence, and Evaluations of Media Companies

Prior research in the third-person effects domain has shown that people who believe in harmful media effects are more willing to engage in preventive or accommodative strategies, such as censorship. This research extends that supposition by testing a thus-far unstudied strategy: negative evaluations of media companies. Results show that an overall belief in harmful media effects is connected to negative evaluations of the media companies potentially responsible for those effects. The third-person perceptual gap is not related to these negative evaluations of media companies, suggesting important differences between third-person effects research and influence of presumed media influence research.

The Effects of Evaluative Reviews on Market Success in the Video Game Industry

Prior research and anecdotal evidence suggest that the market success of experience goods (i.e. motion pictures) can be empirically connected to professional and peer reviews of those experience goods. In this paper, this argument is tested by examining the way in which reviews determine the success of video games. A number of analysis strategies are used to show that professional critics’ reviews of games can influence sales of games. The amount of advertising is also an influential factor.

Using the Theory of Reasoned Action and Structural Equation Modeling to Study the Influence of News Media in an Experimental Context

This study situates the theory of reasoned action (TRA) as a viable method for studying the impact of the news media on attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, the TRA is analyzed using structural equation modeling to determine the influence of a news story about the potential building of an Islamic community center on nearby media consumers. Results show the TRA, in combination with structural equation modeling, provides an acceptable model for examining the influence of news stories in an experimental context. The news media were found to significantly impact perceptions of the climate of opinion, as well as beliefs about how the news story content would affect the community. Moreover, prior attitudes toward the news storys subject (in this case, Islam) moderated the storys influence and may prove useful in future use of the TRA.