title: Promoting tolerance and moral engagement through peer modeling.
abstract: Behavioral journalism influences audiences by presenting peer modeling for cognitive processes that lead to behavior change. This technique was used in student newsletters promoting intergroup tolerance and moral engagement in a Houston high school with a diverse ethnic composition. Pretest (N = 393) and posttest (N = 363) cross-sectional comparisons of the student population in that school provided evidence of short-term (6 month) communication effects on attitudes and behavior. Tolerance and moral engagement increased among students in the school where behavioral journalism newsletters were distributed, and there was a corresponding reduction in hostile behavioral intentions and in reports of verbal aggression.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Houston, School of Public Health 77225, USA. amaclister@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McAlister
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ama
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D006801:Humans; D020452:Journalism; D009014:Morals; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology