Does CNN's Live Debate Feedback Influence Viewers' Opinions?

Wall Street Journal:

During Tuesday night's presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama was talking about health care, and most of 25 undecided voters in Columbus, Ohio, liked what they heard. They turned knobs on small, wireless dials in their hands -- and a graph representing their immediate reaction was aired live to about 9.2 million people watching CNN.

CNN has aired these squiggly lines live on the bottom of the screen for all of the debates held since September. Some have called the readout addictive, others find it distracting.

But live feedback graphics may have another effect. Recent psychological experiments suggest they can influence viewers' judgments. That might give tiny focus groups outsize influence, especially over undecideds. But there is a broader question: How much of our political opinions are our own?

"We don't realize how much we are influenced by other people," said Steven Fein, a social psychology professor at Williams College who has used footage from presidential debates in experiments examining how voters might be swayed. "We can't ignore what we think other people think."

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[Bulbul]

What is going on here ? Today, CNN is going on in our living room, not my choice, bur rest of the family watching it . I would say Plain is on there with her shrill voice , talking about everything , meaning empty talk, in the ratio 10:1 , compared to Obama, Biden combined.

[imsosure]

Not as much as knowing Palin and McCain are in direct talks with David Duke and a bunch of other good ole boys the Palin family knows. think Cheney ought to take them all out shooting geese, it ought to be fun.

[ReelBusy]

Issues Baby, Issues!
It's all about the McCain/Palin "Economy" now.

SIDE EFFECTS OF THE MCCAIN ECONOMY
(THE "HEAD ON" AD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqs26mpg8o

[mdmpo]

Faux will start using it to rate the Republiclans high and the Dems low. How much you wanna bet?

[HC4BO]

You read my mind ...

Kind of like that text polling after debates ...

Always 86% for the Repub and 12% for the Dem .....

Look for Faux Noise to spring up their own perception meter in future electoral debates ...

This year they missed out on the opportunity ...

[Meggie]

No. The only thing I've noticed is that those labeling themselves independent seem to be very emotional and it seems like they'll believe anything from either side, no matter what the party platform actually is.

[springsm]

Seems to me, if you are still undecided and sticking to the "independent" label which seems crazy on the face of things, that you want to vote republican and want somebody to tell you that it is all right. Doubting Thomas's who aren't able to think critically or research the issues. Yes, there are questions all around...but you do the best you can with the research and YOUR own beliefs and then make up your OWN mind. If these folks are still really trying to decide between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden...they are to be pitied. And NO..CNN doesn't influence me on anything. Cute way to get viewers tho.

[notthistime]

no not at all. I wonder why these people believe we are sheep? whatever . . .

[ebanks84]

Because believe it or not, we have been programmed and brainwashed by these same people over the boob tube since the day we were born. And we're finally waking up to that fact and are trying to get our lives back to where we OWN our thoughts instead of the media.

[FaceYourFears]

That's what it's designed for but it only works on weak-minded indiviuals.

[ebanks84]

It works on everybody. We are all programmed in some apsect of our daily lives but we don't know it. We're brainwashed into buying certain products, doing certain things, etc. It's all around us.

[YouDisgustMe]

i thought the dial feedback was a stupid idea...it does not influence me but i'm sure it will influence all the airheads watching...

[ebanks84]

Everybody is influenced in some form or fashion.

[TuffCookie]

i already know i'm voting for "that one" and more importantly, WHY im voting for "that one"....but it is interesting to see how people react to what they're saying. the women responded well to obama overall.

[japito]

It bothers me because it discourages actually spending the time to think and analyze what is being said. It encourages superficial sound bites that might have appeal but no substance. One of the earliest criticisms of Obama was that he was too intellectual and spent too much time explaining his ideas. The good news is that Obama is ahead in the polls - that means there's hope for us despite the sound bite mentality that has been pushed on us by the main stream media - Peace

[ebanks84]

Yes, and it encourages you to go WITH THE CROWD's way of thinking, thereby NOT using your own will.

[janinei]

Yes, I admit it, peer pressure is making me vote for Obama, all the cool kids are doing it!

[FaceYourFears]

lol

[barackobama4prez]

the lines are annoying although entertaining. i don't need to know what others feel in order to make my decisions.

[Topfeeder]

I enjoyed watching McCain flat line and Obama soar with eagles, but if I didn't I would simply switch to CSPAN. We have options people. Use them.

[ebanks84]

Thank you.

[SCTroublemaker]

Distracting...No! Given all the clutter on found on most every cable news network how is this any different? Influencing...Potentially? Face the facts, there are a lot of people out there than are sheep and will follow the masses. Its sad but true.

What fascinates my wife and I as we watch the debates on CNN is seeing the reaction of the "undecided" voters via the graph throughout the debate. Only to see them seem interviewed afterward saying that they didn't hear anything they swayed them? After three debates, my wife and I have determined that "undecided" voters are either cynics, single issue voters, or morons. You take your choice.

[Jules1]

MSNBC or C-Span