Social identity and perceptions of media persuasion: Are we always less influenced than others?

People typically perceive negative media content (e.g., violence) to have m ore impact on others than on themselves (a third-person effect). To examine the perceived effects of positive content (e.g., public-service advertisem ents) and the moderating role of social identities, we examined students' p erceptions of the impact of AIDS advertisements on self, students (in- grou p), nonstudents (out-group), and people in general. Perceived self-other di fferences varied with the salience of student identity. Low identifiers dis played the typical third-person effect, whereas high identifiers were more willing to acknowledge impact on themselves and the student in-group. Furth er, when influence was normatively accept able within the in-group, high id entifiers perceived self and students (us) as more influenced than nonstude nts (them). The theoretical and practical implications of this reversal in third-person perceptions are discussed.