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The Mass Communication Research and Effects - Paper | COMM 233, Papers of Mass Communication

Material Type: Paper; Class: Mass Communication in Modern Society; Subject: Communications; University: California State University - Fullerton; Term: Unknown 1989;

Typology: Papers

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 08/18/2009

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MASS
MASS
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
and
and
EFFECTS
EFFECTS
The Importance of Theory
The Importance of Theory
zMajor goal is to Establish Causal Relationships
cause-and-effect relationships
zMass Media Research and Theory:
helps us understand how mass media operate
helps people understand how the mass media
influence them
The Uses for Research
The Uses for Research
zScholarly
university research
> explore abstract questions
zProfessional
professional communicators dealing with real-life
problems
> solve practical problems
zParadigms:
a set of assumptions about the nature of social
behavior
Approaches of Mass
Approaches of Mass
Communication Research
Communication Research
zSocial Science Approach
uses quantitative data to measure outcomes
> the social scientific method
zCritical Studies Approach
uses qualitative data to understand issues raised
by questions between media and society
studies symbolic meanings behind behavior
studies the relationship between media text and its
audience
Approaches of Mass
Approaches of Mass
Communication Research
Communication Research The Social Scientific Approach
The Social Scientific Approach
zsocial scientific method uses empirical
research
Social Science Theory:
A set of related statements about people’s
behavior that
> categorizes phenomena
> predicts the future
> explains past events
> helps explain why the behavior occurs
> provides the potential for influencing future
behavior
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MASSMASS

COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

RESEARCHRESEARCH

andand

EFFECTSEFFECTS

The Importance of TheoryThe Importance of Theory

z Major goal is to Establish Causal Relationships − cause-and-effect relationships z Mass Media Research and Theory: − − helps us understand how mass media operate − helps people understand how the mass media influence them

The Uses for ResearchThe Uses for Research

z Scholarly − university research

explore abstract questions z Professional − professional communicators dealing with real-life problems solve practical problems

z Paradigms: − a set of assumptions about the nature of social behavior

Approaches of MassApproaches of Mass

Communication ResearchCommunication Research

z Social Science Approach − uses quantitative data to measure outcomes

the social scientific method z Critical Studies Approach − uses qualitative data to understand issues raised by questions between media and society − studies symbolic meanings behind behavior − studies the relationship between media text and its audience

Approaches of MassApproaches of Mass

Communication ResearchCommunication Research

The Social Scientific ApproachThe Social Scientific Approach

z social scientific method uses empirical research

Social Science Theory:

  • A set of related statements about people’s behavior that

    categorizes phenomena predicts the future explains past events helps explain why the behavior occurs provides the potential for influencing future behavior

Hypotheses:

A statement based on scientific theory that makes a prediction about an expected outcome

z Research and Public Policy − cigarette advertising’s effects on children − violent TV programming’s effects on society − TV’s sexual content’s effects on society

z Modifying Social Science Theory Theories are modified because

behavior changes as society evolves the ability to measure social behavior improves

  • better testing methods

theories evolve with the accumulation of research

  • theory must explain new data

z Three categories of Social Science Research

1. influences on media content > creation of the media content - people’s ethics or background - market influences - organizational influences

z Three categories of Social Science Research

2. influences on media effects > how media content affects people > assumes people are passive users of media > examines the effects of: - entertainment + violence, sex etc. - advertising - political messages

z Three categories of Social Science Research

3. influences on how people use the media > “uses and gratification theory” > how and why people decide to use the media > assumes people are active users of media

Current Research TopicsCurrent Research Topics

z News Gathering

  • news net: news topics and sources that reporters normally go to

    some events are caught in the net other events pass through the net

z Chicago School:

  • positive view of media
  • communication is the foundation for community

    people have fewer personal ties in modern, postindustrial world media help develops a sense of community media can improve society

Early Critical Studies Research inEarly Critical Studies Research in

the U.Sthe U.S ..

z Frankfurt School

  • negative view of media
  • based on Karl Marx’s teachings
  • looked at the economics of media organizations

    mass media is part of the established order mass media help suppress the workers

z Birmingham School

  • combines semiotics with Karl Marx’s teachings
  • audiences are guided toward the preferred ideological interpretations

Current Critical Studies ResearchCurrent Critical Studies Research

z Critical studies was ignored from the 1930s until the 1970s

  • critical studies today view communication as a process in which a shared culture is created, modified and transformed
  • doesn’t have an ideology like the Franfurt, Chicago or Birmingham schools

Communication Research TrendsCommunication Research Trends

z Contingency Research

  • media impact is contingent on many factors, called contingency factors

    effects of TV violence on children: - time spent watching TV - graphic nature of the violence - frequency of the violent acts - maturity of the child - comments from adults also watching - reactions from peers - actions of playmates

Communication Research TrendsCommunication Research Trends

z More Theory

  • few formal communications theories

    communications research is fairly new field

Communication Research TrendsCommunication Research Trends

z Brain Imaging

  • Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Can track how different stimuli affect the brain

Political Effects of Mass MediaPolitical Effects of Mass Media^ Political Effects of Mass MediaPolitical Effects of Mass Media z Agenda-Setting Model − media tells us what to think about

influences how much importance we place on a story

  • media sets the agenda for us
  • pressure groups sometimes set the agenda for the media

z Agenda-Setting Model

  • audience characteristics affect individual agendas

    salience: importance of the issue to the individual obtrusive issues: issues we experience first- hand - media have less influence on our views of salient and obtrusive issues

z Agenda-Setting Model

  • interpersonal relationships affect individual agendas

    friends and family opinion leaders

Question # Of all the crimes that occur in the U.S. in any year, what proportion are violent crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and assault? A. Less than 1% D. 7% to 10% B. 1% to 3% E. 11% to 15% C. 4% to 6% F. greater than 15%

D. 10% D. 10%

Why do most American say crime is a

major problem in the country today?

TV programs

Question # In any given week, what are the chances that a person will involved some kind of violence?

Less than 1%Less than 1%

61% of the people we see on TV are involved in some kind of violence.

Question # What percentage of all working males in the U.S. are in law enforcement or some other kind of crime detection/prevention? 1%1%

12% of the people we see on TV work in law enforcement or related fields.

Question # Of all the crimes that occur in the U.S. in any year, what proportion are violent crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and assault?

10%10%

77% of the crimes we see committed on TV are violent crimes

z Cultivation Ratification

  • the effects of TV on viewers

    heavy viewers are affected by what they see - heaving viewing: 8+ hours per day > they see the world more dangerous than it really is

z Dependency Theory

  • the media, their consumers, their financial supporters & and their sources are all dependent on each other

    media control information that people depend on some media users control the media’s resources - advertisers, bankers, news sources

Dependency theory says the media affect people in 6 ways:

  1. self-understanding

    people depend on the media to learn about themselves and to grow as individuals

  2. social understanding

    people depend on the media to learn about the world and their community

  3. action orientation

    people depend on the media to decide what to buy and how to act

  4. interaction orientation

people depend on the media to decide how to behave toward other people

  1. solitary play

people depend on the media for diversion and entertainment when they are alone

  1. social play

people depend on the media for entertainment when they are with other people

Uses and GratificationUses and Gratification

Research about how people use the media − focuses on audience motivation and consumption

z Uses and Gratification Assumptions: − Communication behavior, including media selection and use, is goal-directed

− People take the initiative in selecting and using communication media

− Many social and psychological factors affect our communication behavior

− Media compete with other forms of communication for the selection, attention and use in the gratification of our needs or wants

z People Use Media Because They Want Something From It − People use the media for

surveillance

  • gathering information

decision making

  • what movie to see, who to vote for etc.

social & cultural interaction

  • shared experience with others
  • absorb social norms/culture individually

diversion and entertainment