MEDIA EFFECTS - GBV

MEDIA EFFECTS

W. James Potter University of California, Santa Barbara

®SAGE Los Angeles | London j New Delhi

Singapore | Washington DC

Detailed Contents

Preface xv

PART I: ORGANIZING THINKING ABOUT MEDIA EFFECTS 1

Chapter 1 Why Study Media Effects? 3

Media Message Saturation 5 High Degree of Exposure 6 Accelerating Production of Information 7 Impossible to Keep Up 8

The Challenge of Coping 9 Media Influence Is Pervasive and Constant 11 Huge Knowledge Base About Media Effects 12 Summary 13

Chapter 2 Defining Key Ideas 15

Nature of Audience Members 17 The Human Mind as Machine 17 Interpretive Beings 18

Media Exposure 18 Exposure and Attention 19 Exposure States 21

Information-Processing Tasks 23 Filtering 24 Meaning Matching 25 Meaning Construction 25

Algorithms 26 Origin of Algorithms 27 Use of Algorithms 28

Summary 30

Chapter 3 What Is a Media Effect? 33

Defining Media Effect 35 Key Issues in Media Effects Definitions 35 The Definition 38 Need to Organize Media Effects 38

Organizing Individual-Level Media Effects Type of Effects on Individuals Media-Influenced Functions The Media Effects Template for Individual-Level Effects

Organizing Macro-Level Media Effects Summary

Chapter 4 Media Influence Patterns of Influence

Baselines and Fluctuations Manifestation and Process Effects Shaping the Patterns

Factors of Influence Families of Factors Most Influential Factors

An Illustration of Media Influence Summary

Chapter 5 Media Theories Beginning With Theories What Are the Most Prevalent Media Effects Theories? Profiling Most Salient Media Effects Theories

1. Cultivation 2. Third Person 3. Agenda Setting 4. Uses and Gratifications 5. Priming 6. Cognitive Capacity 7. Framing 8. Feminism 9. Social Learning

10. Elaboration Likelihood 11. Schema 12. Diffusion of Innovations

The Big Picture With Media Effects Theories Summary

PART I I : TYPES OF MASS MEDIA EFFECTS ON INDIVIDUALS

Chapter б Physiological Effects Nature of Physiological Effects

Automatic and Quasi-Automatic Four Types of Physiological Processes

Triggering Physiological Effects Orienting Reflex Arousal

Altering Physiological Effects 98 Habituation 98 Brain Processing 100 Brain Waves 102

Reinforcing Physiological Effects 103 Orienting Reflex 103 Passivity 104 Arousal 104 Narcoticization 104

Summary 105

Chapter 7 Cognitive Effects 107 Nature of Cognitive Effects 109

Kinds of Information 109 Types of Processes 111

Acquiring 113 Acquiring Information 113 Factors Influencing Acquiring Information 116

Triggering 121 Triggering Attention 121 Triggering Recall From Memory 124 Triggering Cognitive Processes 125

Altering 128 Altering Existing Knowledge Structures 128 Altering Cognitive Processing 129 Altering Cognitive Drives 130 Explaining Altering 130

Reinforcing 133 Reinforcing Attraction to Media 133 Reinforcing Existing Knowledge Structures 135 Reinforcing Existing Mental Processes 135 Process of Reinforcing 137

Summary 137

Chapter 8 Belief Effects 139

Nature of Beliefs 141 Acquiring Beliefs 143 Triggering Beliefs 145

Triggering Beliefs About the Media 145 Triggering Beliefs About the Real World 146 Generalizing From Media World to Real World 146

Altering Beliefs 147 Altering Beliefs About the Real World 148 Altering Beliefs About What Is Important 152 Altering Beliefs About Social Norms 154

Altering Beliefs About Oneself 155 Altering Beliefs About the Media 157

Reinforcing Beliefs 158 Process of Media Influence on Beliefs 160

Gradual Change 160 Sudden Change 164

Summary 164

Chapter 9 Attitude Effects 167 Nature of Attitudes 169 Acquiring Attitudes 172

Acquiring Attitudes 172 Acquiring Standards 172 Process of Acquiring Attitudes 174

Triggering Attitudes 177 Triggering Construction of Attitudes About the Media 179 Triggering Construction of Attitudes About the Real World 179 Process of Triggering Attitudes 180

Altering Attitudes 182 Altering Existing Attitudes 182 Altering Existing Standards 185 Process of Altering Attitudes 185

Reinforcing Attitudes 187 Reinforcing Attitudes About Credibility of Information 188 Reinforcing Attitudes About Dating and Sex 188 Reinforcing Attitudes About Political Issues 188

Summary 190

Chapter 10 Affective Effects 191 Nature of Affect 193

Emotions 194 Moods 195

Acquiring Affect 195 Triggering Affect 197

Triggering Specific Emotional Reactions 197 Triggering More Generalized Feelings 199 Process of Triggering Affect 199

Altering Affect 204 Conscious Altering 204 Unconscious Altering 208 Process of Altering Affect 208

Reinforcing Affect 211 Summary 213

Chapter 11 Behavioral Effects 215 Nature of Behavior 217

Acquiring Behavior 218

Factual Behavioral Process 218 Social Behavioral Process 219

Triggering Behavior 219 Triggering Exposure Behaviors 219 Triggering Imitative Behavior 221 Triggering Message-Suggested Behavior 222 Process of Triggering Behavior 223

Altering Behavior 226 Altering Exposure Behaviors Over Time 226 Altering Other Behaviors Over Time 229 Explaining Altering Behaviors 229

Reinforcing Behavior 230 Habits With All Media 231 Habits With a Particular Medium 231 Habits With Particular Messages 232 Explaining Reinforcing Media Behaviors 234

Summary 235

PART I I I : TYPES OF MACRO-LEVEL MEDIA EFFECTS 237

Chapter 12 Macro-Level Effects on the Public 239

Effects on Public Knowledge 241 Information Flow 243 Effects of News 245 Effects of Public Information Campaigns 245

Public Beliefs 246 Explaining Formation of Public Beliefs 246 Beliefs of the Public 247

Public Attitudes and Opinion 248 Public Affect 249 Public Behavior 249

Civic Participation 251 Social Engagement 252 Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors 252

Summary 253

Chapter 13 Macro-Level Effects on Institutions 255

Effects on Political System 257 Selecting Candidates 257 Campaigning for Office 260 Political Action Committees 264 The Presidency 265 Congress 265

Effects on Economic System 266 Private and Public Goods 266 Stock Market 266 Globalization 267

Effects on Family Family Structure Family Interaction

Effects on Religion Media as a Threat to Religion Media as a Tool for Religion

Summary

Chapter 14 Macro-Level Effects on Society, Culture, and Mass Media

Effects on Society Role of Information Technologies in Shaping Society Functionalism Integration vs. Fragmentation

Culture Marxism Feminism British Cultural Studies Cultural Imperialism

Effects on the Mass Media Themselves New Technologies Concentration of Ownership Socialization Effects

Summary

268 268 268 270 270 273 276

279 281 281 283 283 286 286 287 288 288 288 289 290 294 295

PART IV: THE BIG PICTURE 297

Chapter 15 Cautions 299

Methodological Cautions 301 Use of Self-Reports 301 Use of Repeated Measures 304 Use of Attribute Variables 304 Calibration of Influences 306

Media Effects vs. Mass Media Effects 306 What Are the "Mass" Media? 307

Caution in Translating 311 Summary 312

Chapter 16 Springboard 315 Reviewing Key Ideas 317

Nature of Audience 317 Nature of Media Effects 318

Nature of Media Influence 318

Nature of Media Effects Research 320

Extending Your Understanding 321

Managing Effects on Ourselves 322

Step 1: Increase Awareness of Your Goals 322

Step 2: Think About How You Can Use the Media as Your Tools 323

Step 3: Monitor Your Media Exposures 324

Step 4: Alter Your Reactions to Messages 324

Step 5: Alter Your Exposure Patterns 325

Summary 325

References 327

Index 365

About the Author 377