MASS-MEDIA INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS AND KNOWLEDGE-GAP EFFECTS

The knowledge-gap hypothesis of Tichenor, Donohue, and Olien (1970) st ates that people from the higher socioeconomic segments of society acq uire information at a faster rate than people from the lower socioecon omic segments. The consequence is a growing knowledge gap between the high and low segments. The present study investigates some potential c auses for this knowledge-gap phenomenon by means of data sets from eva luation studies of 3 mass-media information campaigns. The observed di fferences in knowledge between low and highly educated respondents cou ld partly be explained by differences in the attention paid to the cam paigns but not by differences in information processing.