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Material Type: Paper; Class: Mass Communication in Modern Society; Subject: Communications; University: California State University - Fullerton; Term: Unknown 1989;
Typology: Papers
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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
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
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
z social scientific method uses empirical research
categorizes phenomena predicts the future explains past events helps explain why the behavior occurs provides the potential for influencing future behavior
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
theories evolve with the accumulation of research
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
z News Gathering
some events are caught in the net other events pass through the net
z Chicago School:
people have fewer personal ties in modern, postindustrial world media help develops a sense of community media can improve society
z Frankfurt School
mass media is part of the established order mass media help suppress the workers
z Birmingham School
z Critical studies was ignored from the 1930s until the 1970s
z Contingency Research
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
z More Theory
communications research is fairly new field
z Brain 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
z Agenda-Setting Model
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
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%
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
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
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:
people depend on the media to learn about themselves and to grow as individuals
people depend on the media to learn about the world and their community
people depend on the media to decide what to buy and how to act
people depend on the media to decide how to behave toward other people
people depend on the media for diversion and entertainment when they are alone
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
decision making
social & cultural interaction
diversion and entertainment