Examples Examples of Research of Research
Dec 19, 2015
Pornography Effects Pornography Effects Research: Donnerstein Research: Donnerstein
ParadigmParadigm Procedure:Procedure:
Subject and female confederateSubject and female confederate Told it’s a learning task under threat of Told it’s a learning task under threat of
punishmentpunishment Subject is learner first, then teacherSubject is learner first, then teacher
Part 1: Subject writes essayPart 1: Subject writes essay Confederate evaluates with shock and written Confederate evaluates with shock and written
feedbackfeedback Condition: positive vs. negative evaluationCondition: positive vs. negative evaluation
Intermission: Film previewIntermission: Film preview Condition: aggressive vs. aggressive erotic vs. erotic Condition: aggressive vs. aggressive erotic vs. erotic
vs. control filmvs. control film Part 2: Subject evaluates task performancePart 2: Subject evaluates task performance
Administration of shock to confederateAdministration of shock to confederate
Pornography Effects Pornography Effects Research: Donnerstein Research: Donnerstein
ParadigmParadigmR
Subjectpraised
O1Aggressive
RSubjectangered
O1Aggressive
RSubjectpraised
O1
Aggressiveerotic
RSubjectangered
O1
Aggressiveerotic
RSubjectpraised
O1Erotic
RSubjectangered
O1Erotic
RSubjectpraised
O1Control
RSubjectangered
O1Control
Pornography Effects Pornography Effects ResearchResearchDonnerstein & Berkowitz (1981)
Aggressive erotic:-Positive ending (victim enjoys)-Negative ending
Confederate:-male vs. female
Pornography Effects Pornography Effects ResearchResearchDonnerstein & Berkowitz (1981)
DEBRIEFING EFFECTS
Research on Third-person Research on Third-person PerceptionPerception
Example of research that embeds an Example of research that embeds an experiment into a surveyexperiment into a survey (c.f., class research project)(c.f., class research project) Respondents get different versions of a Respondents get different versions of a
questionnairequestionnaire Different stimulus messages presented to Different stimulus messages presented to
different groupsdifferent groupsWarning: Slides for this research contain text and audio-visual materials of a graphic violent and sexist nature.
Basic Third Person Basic Third Person ConceptsConcepts
The Third Person Perception (3pp):The Third Person Perception (3pp): ““Others are more affected by negative media Others are more affected by negative media
messages than I am”messages than I am”
The Social Distance Corollary:The Social Distance Corollary: ““The more different someone is from me, the The more different someone is from me, the
more they are affected by media messages”more they are affected by media messages”
Theoretical Theoretical Underpinnings of the Underpinnings of the
Third-person Third-person PhenomenonPhenomenon
Why do we see others as being more Why do we see others as being more affected by negative media messages than affected by negative media messages than ourselves?ourselves? Ego-enhancing motivational bias?Ego-enhancing motivational bias?
““I am better than you”I am better than you” ““I am less affected by negative media I am less affected by negative media
messages”messages” ““I am not as easy to manipulate as you”I am not as easy to manipulate as you”
Past Research on 3ppPast Research on 3pp
Research has found support for 3pp for a Research has found support for 3pp for a variety of negative content:variety of negative content: TV violence (Innes and Zeitz, 1988)TV violence (Innes and Zeitz, 1988) Pornography (Gunther, 1995: Rojas, Shah, & Faber, Pornography (Gunther, 1995: Rojas, Shah, & Faber,
1996)1996) Libelous news stories (Cohen et al., 1988; Libelous news stories (Cohen et al., 1988;
Gunther, 1991)Gunther, 1991) Product advertisements (Thorson & Coyle, 1994)Product advertisements (Thorson & Coyle, 1994) Negative political ads (Cohen & Davis, 1991)Negative political ads (Cohen & Davis, 1991) Several other forms of potentially harmful media Several other forms of potentially harmful media
contentcontent
Third-person Research: Third-person Research: ExampleExample
Eveland, Nathanson, Detenber & McLeod (1999). Eveland, Nathanson, Detenber & McLeod (1999).
Research Questions:Research Questions: Do perceived effects increase as comparison Do perceived effects increase as comparison
group gets more distance?group gets more distance? Based on logic of Ego Enhancement rationaleBased on logic of Ego Enhancement rationale
What if we expand the dimensions of social What if we expand the dimensions of social distance?distance? 1. Traditional: 1. Traditional:
UD students, Average AmericanUD students, Average American 2. Education:2. Education:
other college students, people your age with a high other college students, people your age with a high school education, people your age with a grade school school education, people your age with a grade school educationeducation
3. Age: 3. Age: 8 years younger, 4 years younger, same age, 8 years 8 years younger, 4 years younger, same age, 8 years
older, 40 years olderolder, 40 years older Does perceived impact increase as social distance Does perceived impact increase as social distance
increases along each of the dimensions?increases along each of the dimensions?
Third-person Research: Third-person Research: MethodsMethods
Participants:Participants: Participants:Participants:
359 U. of Delaware students359 U. of Delaware students
Stimulus:Stimulus: Different music lyrics embedded in Different music lyrics embedded in
different surveysdifferent surveys 1. Violent anti-social rap1. Violent anti-social rap 2. Misogynic anti-social rap2. Misogynic anti-social rap 3. Violent anti-social death metal3. Violent anti-social death metal 4. Misogynic anti-social death metal4. Misogynic anti-social death metal
Violent RapViolent Rap
“Out one night, Yo, just chillin’ with my crewwe were actin’ wild cuz I didn’t have nothing better to doGot a nine at my waist, Stay out of my face.You mess with me, Right here’ll be your resting place....”
-South Central Cartel
Misogynistic RapMisogynistic Rap
It’s late one night and I’m ready to dipCuz I’m kinda drunk with an ugly chickBig butt, big chest, and kinda stackedSix foot two and she’s also fat........Be my girl what? It ain’t all thatGot weed in your head, knock-kneed and fatGet some understanding, you’re just a skeezI’m out for booty and to be pleased........Get an ugly chick. -Too Live Crew
Violent Death MetalViolent Death Metal
“...Kill the preacher’s only son, watch the infant die. Bodily dismemberment, drink the purest blood Unrelenting need to kill, death upon you now. Anxiously awaiting the next in line.” -Slayer
Misogynistic Death MetalMisogynistic Death Metal
“...Shave her head and throw her down. That’s where she belongs--on the ground. She’s just an object for him to crush. Pound her head until it’s mush.” -Visceral Eviscerations
Third-person Study Third-person Study DesignDesign
RViolent
RapO1
RMisog.
RapO1
RViolent
Death MetalO1
RMisog.
Death Metal O1
Agenda-setting Agenda-setting ResearchResearch
Cohen observes:Cohen observes: The power of the media is not to tell us what to The power of the media is not to tell us what to
think, but “what to think about”think, but “what to think about” Setting the public agendaSetting the public agenda
McCombs & Shaw (1972)McCombs & Shaw (1972) Use survey and content analysis to test AS Use survey and content analysis to test AS
hypothesishypothesis High correlation between media agenda and public High correlation between media agenda and public
agendaagenda Implication: Media coverage shapes our prioritiesImplication: Media coverage shapes our priorities
Raises the question: What is causal relationship?Raises the question: What is causal relationship?
Agenda-setting Agenda-setting ResearchResearch
To answer the causal question:To answer the causal question: Iyengar & Kinder (1987) conduct a series of Iyengar & Kinder (1987) conduct a series of
experimentsexperiments Published in book: News That MattersPublished in book: News That Matters
Subjects watch news for six consecutive Subjects watch news for six consecutive nightsnights News was edited by researchers:News was edited by researchers:
Experimental group gets selected storiesExperimental group gets selected stories E.g., stories about inadequacy of U.S. militaryE.g., stories about inadequacy of U.S. military
Control group gets neutral storiesControl group gets neutral stories Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms
control, civil rights and unemploymentcontrol, civil rights and unemployment
Agenda-setting Research: Agenda-setting Research:
Iyengar & Kinder (1987):Iyengar & Kinder (1987): Design:Design:
RNatural
NewscastO1
RExper.
newscastO1
Priming ResearchPriming Research
Priming is a related concept also studies by Priming is a related concept also studies by the Iyengar & Kinder experimentsthe Iyengar & Kinder experiments Priming: affecting the standards that Priming: affecting the standards that
audience uses to make judgments:audience uses to make judgments: Focus on a particular aspect of issue to provide Focus on a particular aspect of issue to provide
a framework for understandinga framework for understanding E.g., Presidential evaluationsE.g., Presidential evaluations
Is the election about foreign policy or the Is the election about foreign policy or the economy?economy?
Media agenda affects evaluationsMedia agenda affects evaluations Agenda-setting => Priming => Social evaluationsAgenda-setting => Priming => Social evaluations
Priming ResearchPriming Research
Iyengar & Kinder’s (1987) experiments also Iyengar & Kinder’s (1987) experiments also examine priming effect of media agenda on examine priming effect of media agenda on presidential evaluationspresidential evaluations Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms
control, civil rights and unemploymentcontrol, civil rights and unemployment How does experimentally-inflated salience of How does experimentally-inflated salience of
issue on media agenda prime presidential issue on media agenda prime presidential performance evaluations?performance evaluations?
Priming ResearchPriming Research
Control group Experimental group
Importance of Issue-based Evaluation on Overall Evaluation of the President