COMMUNICATOR CREDIBILITY: TRUSTWORTHINESS DEFEATS EXPERTNESS

The credibility of a highly trustworthy communicator was compared with that of an expert. The subjects (36 nuns) heard the same persuasive message concerning AIDS, presented under the guise of either a trustworthy source (a priest), an expert (a doctor), or a neutral source. The results showed that the trustworthy communicator was regarded as significantly more believable than the expert.