Editing Vested interest (communication theory) (section)

===Attitude importance===
The factor to consider with vested interest and its application towards attitude-consistent actions is attitude importance. [[Attitude (psychology)|Attitude]] (or issue) importance concerns not only matters of personal consequence, but also matters of national or international interest.<ref name="Crano"/> While both of these can fall in line with each other, vested interest and attitude importance are not the same. For example, consider the plight of an African nation that has been ravaged by an influenza epidemic. Although an individual in America may consider this objectively important, because of the low probability of personal consequence{{snd}} i.e., vested interest{{snd}} his resultant behavior may not be indicative of his attitude towards the epidemic. In other words, since the issue is of little hedonic relevance to the perceiver, the amount of vested interest is low, and is therefore unlikely to produce attitude-consistent actions. Geographic distance and cultural differences are also a factor in attitude importance. Tragic circumstances halfway around the world or shocking behaviors by members of a culture different from the perceiver, will most likely never result in attitude change. The physical distance or cultural difference of an occurrence directly correlates to the vested interest of the perceiver. Things too far away or customs perceived to be too strange will almost never trigger a vested interest.

Indicators of vested interest can include attitude importance, as detailed by Jon Krosnick<ref name="Krosnick">{{cite journal |last1=Krosnick |first1=J.A. |title=The Role of Attitude Importance in Social Evaluation: A Study of Policy Preferences, Presidential Candidate Evaluations, and Voting Behavior |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |date=1988 |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=196–198 |doi=10.1037/0022-3514.55.2.196 |pmid=3171904 |s2cid=11032330 }}</ref> who defined this concept by stating that “central, ego-involved, and salient attitudes” often include attitudes significantly important to individual interests.  In politics, for example, voters have a vested interest in candidates whose values (policy) align with their own to include attitudes toward these values.  Due to the nature of politics, voters come to conclusions about one candidate over another based on perceived attitude importance (object) on these policies rather than vocal support alone placing a high value on this concept as it pertains to vested interest.<ref name="Krosnick" />

Attitude object continuously makes an issue salient which correlates to outcome relevant involvement.  Two differences exist between vested interest and outcome relevant involvement where attitude objects remain highly important.<ref name="Lehman & Crano">{{cite journal |last1=Lehman |first1=B.J. |last2=Crano |first2=W. |title=The Pervasive Effect of Vested Interest on Attitude Consistency in Political Judgement |journal=Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |date=2002 |volume=38 |issue=2 |doi=10.1006/jesp.2001.1489 |issn=0022-1031}}</ref>  Initially,  outcome relevant objects retain a high degree of vested interest while not appearing to be.  Secondly,  outcome relevant involvement suggest interest ends once the goal is achieved whereas vested interest suggests a self-perpetuated interest.<ref name="Lehman & Crano"/>