Transcript Media Effects and Cultural Approaches to Research

Media Effects and Cultural
Approaches to Research
“What are the media doing to us?”
Early Research
• Propaganda Analysis
• Public Opinion Research
• Social Psychology Studies
• Marketing Research
Social Psychology Studies
• Attempt to measure behavior and
cognition.
• The Payne Studies examined young
peoples’ (physiological) reactions to
movies. Viewing of sexual and aggressive
behavior.
• Established the model for studies of TV
viewing in the 60s.
Key Phases in Research
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Hypodermic Needle
Direct Effects
Magic Bullet
Led to formulation of the transportation
model.
Transportation Model
meaning
meaning
Channel or Medium
SENDER
ENCODE
MESSAGE
Feedback loop
DECODE
RECEIVER
Minimal Effects Model
• Selective Exposure
• Selective Retention
• Without filters we would be overwhelmed
by stimuli.
• Sense-Select-Perceive-Remember-LearnKnow.
Uses & Gratifications Model
• For what do you use the media?
• What needs does is gratify?
Approaches to media effects
• Scientific method. Based on Hypotheses,
research and testing, and analyses.
• Experiments. Problems?
• Surveys.
• Validity & reliability.
• Longitudinal study.
• Content Analysis.
Social Learning Theory
• Media portrayals teach us our
“roles.”
• Gender, race, socioeconomic.
Explaining media effects.
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Agenda Setting
Cultivation Effect
Status Conferral
Most media research best
explains effects on individuals –
not on community or social life.
Cultural Studies
• Textual: looking at interpretation and
meaning of symbols of culture.
• Audience: how people use cultural
content.
• Political Economy: concern over the
increasing conglomeration of media
ownership.