1. Media Uses & Effects
Chapter 13

2. Media Effects
Changes in cognitions, attitudes, emotions, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media.

3. Administrative Research
Takes existing media institutions for granted
Deductive reasoning
Media is cause or independent variable
Audiences incur effect, or dependent variables
Social science approach

4. Critical Research Criticizes media institutions
Observes how people interact with media in real life
Interpretive and inductive
Questions power, representation, systemic problems

5. Quantitative Research
Analyzes statistical relationships between variables
e.g., Television watching and violence
Enumerates findings
Focus on cumulative or population statistics

6. Quantitative Methods Content analysis Systematic sampling of content
Classify images, phrases, themes
Creates detailed profiles of content
Identifies trends in media content

7. Quantitative Methods Experimental research
Carefully controlled conditions
Randomly divided subject groups
Isolates particular effects on particular populations
Requires attention internal, external validity, generalizability

8. Quantitative Methods Survey research
Samples general population or specific sub-populations
Seeks correlations between exposure and effects
Self-reports common
Difficult to discern cause and effect

9. Qualitative Methods Ethnography Holistic
Observe media behaviors in natural setting
Construct ‘naturalistic’ setting for observation
Focus groups
In-depth information on particular subjects, settings
Difficult to generalize observations
Observer may affect process

10. Media Exposure Uses & Gratifications Active audiences
Seek out media for:
Knowledge
Social interaction
Diversion

11. Media Exposure

12. Media Exposure Social Learning
Seek media based on expectations of outcomes
Observation of experiences/reactions of others
Self-efficacy:
Perception of our own competency
Media avoidance

13. Media Effects Hypodermic needle Multi-step flow
Direct injection of opinion
Persuasion methods
Multi-step flow
Effects are indirect
Influence by opinion leaders, others
Modified by social norms, social processes

14. Media Effects

15. Media Effects Selective processes Social learning Selective exposure
Selective perception
Selective retention
Media has only limited effects
Social learning
Audiences imitate what they observe
Imitations are socially reinforced

16. Media Effects Cultivation Priming
Long term, heavy exposure to media messages
Changes in world view, stereotypes
Priming
Activation of one though activates other thoughts
Media ‘scripts’ are learned, acted out
Media behaviors prompt real-life behaviors

17. Media Effects Agenda setting Catharsis
Audiences rank order importance according to media agenda
Media delimit universe of topics
Catharsis
Media allow people to live out violent or sexual fantasies
Urges are reduced or eliminated through media use

18. Media & Anti-Social Behavior
Violence
60 percent of prime time viewing
Violent behavior related to viewing violence
Prejudice
Stereotyping race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
(Under)representation of some groups
Disempowerment in media representations
Sex
Exposure causes some men to ‘dehumanize’ women
Normalizes acts, practices that are relatively uncommon, unsafe
Drug abuse
Cigarettes, alcohol, prescription drugs all advertise
Exposure related to consumption

19. Computer Media Impacts
Anti-social behavior
Violence and pornography online
Lack of courtesy, abrupt behavior
Anxiety
Fear of making mistakes with computer
Feeling of being ‘out of control’
Addiction
Patterned reinforcement of behaviors can be addictive
Media are ‘seductive,’ patterns of use can be obsessive

20. Pro-social Media Information campaigns Informal education
Persuade audiences to adopt pro-social behaviors
Must battle ‘selective reception’
Informal education
Sesame Street
Teach in relaxed, entertaining way

21. Communication Issues Social Inequality Access
Understanding & interpretation
Ability to produce
Representation