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<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<DIV id=stcpDiv style="POSITION: absolute; LEFT: -1988px; TOP: -1999px">
<P>Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf" target=_blank>“The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,”</A> Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.</P>
<P>The study’s findings include:</P>
<UL>
<LI>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.</LI>
<LI>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.</LI>
<LI>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.</LI>
<LI>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them.</LI></UL>- See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/using-search-engines-impacts-voter-decisions?utm_source=JR-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JR-email&utm_source=Journalist%27s+Resource&utm_campaign=fb5f04845a-2015_Sept_1_A_B_split3_24_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12d86b1d6a-fb5f04845a-79834861#sthash.ReoLSvXH.dpuf</DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3>(journalistsresource.org) "Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology sought to evaluate how search engine manipulation can influence reader opinions in political campaigns. In their 2015 study “The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections,” Epstein and Robertson study people in the United States and India to determine which populations are most vulnerable to being influenced in this way.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3>The study’s findings include:<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=3> </FONT></SPAN><FONT size=3>By manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another, voter preferences can be altered by 20 percent or more.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=3> </FONT></SPAN><FONT size=3>Certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation effect (SEME) than others. Though the specific demographic of voters vulnerable to this effect varied in each of the five studies conducted by Epstein and Robertson, voters with little knowledge of the candidates or who were undecided in their political affiliation at the time of the study were especially influenced by it.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=3> </FONT></SPAN><FONT size=3>The transparency of search engine manipulation can vary so that the user lacks awareness of how the search engine results impact their consumption and perspective on the content presented.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=3> </FONT></SPAN><FONT size=3>Even users who expressed awareness of search engine manipulation were still influenced by how the search results were presented to them."</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT size=3>The study is available under: <A href="http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf">http://aibrt.org/downloads/EPSTEIN_&_ROBERTSON_2015-The_Search_Engine_Manipulation_Effect-SEME-PNAS-w_SUPPLEMENTS.pdf</A></FONT></o:p></P></BODY></HTML>