Theories of mass media effects What is a theory?.

Theories of mass media effects

What is a theory?

Research studyIn groups of 4/5, calculate your groups’ media consumption for the past week.

TVDigital musicMoviesOutdoor advertisingMobile/Cell phoneInternetPrint (books)Print (newspapers)

Now compare how much time sleeping or talking to others…

Does media have an influence on you?

Media Theories• Explain media phenomenon…• Helps us understand the media phenomenon• Offers a simple explanation of how media function

on our brains• Demonstrates a depth of study of media and its

effects• Based on observation, experimentation and observation, experimentation and

reasoningreasoning• Can be useful to explain behavior

Basic Media Theories

• Magic Bullet: direct, universal and lasting influence (1920s)

• Indirect Influence: May affect child development; may affect voting behavior (1940s study); viewer often controls the effect.

• Long-term Effects: Subtle, gradual influence (Cultural Imperialism)

Socialization Theory (indirect influence)

• We learn howhow to act in society• Agents of socialization– Family– Peers– Education– Religion– Mass Media

Socialization Theory

• … the media are continually offering pictures of life and models of behaviour in advance of actual experience.

Dennis McQuail (2005 Theory of Mass Media)

Specific Socialization Theories

• Modeling theory– Children (and adults) acquire attitudes,

emotional responses, and new styles of conduct from media…

• Social learning theory– Albert Bandura (1977)– Bobo doll experiments• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHdovKHDNU

Cultivation theory(Long-term effects)

George Gerbner• Famous in US academic institutions for

counting the incidences of violence since 1970s

• “Mean World Syndrome”• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw9DsOA

1Y-w

Spiral of SilenceElizabeth Noelle-Neumann

People KNOW what constitutes popular opinion.

A person may be uncomfortable DISAGREEING with what she/he perceives as the majority opinion.

As a result… minority views become devalued even by those who originally believed the minority view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32bWr30kxlM

Hegemony• Term used to explain how the elite social class

exerts its authority over other classes maintaining the status quo

• The power the ruler derives from the ruled• Explains social, economic and political power• Contributes to “cultural imperialism”– Domination of one cultural over another without

firing a shot… but through dominant cultural products or superior production/technology

Marshall McLuhan 1960’s media theorist (Canadian)

• First to recognize the electronic age• “… it will radically alter the way people

think…”• He believed that the way we live is

largely a function of the way we process information

• Believed three invention were most crucial to human behavior– Phonetic alphabet– Printing press– Telegraph

Marshall McLuhan

• These three inventions caused CULTURAL CHANGE… changed the way people thought about themselves and the world

• Change in modes of communication dramatically alters human life

• Changes in modes of communication or media are the primary cause of cultural change

• ““The MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE”The MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE”

Marshall McLuhan

“the dominant medium of any age dominate the people…”

Industrial civilization is restrictive, unbalanced and inhumane…

McLuhan hoped to awaken a sleeping generation to a nightmare of standardized tastes and opinions

Results of Examination of Media Effects Theories

• Regulations• Content Quotas • Strategies to mitigate “cultural imperialism”• Media Literacy Education• TV and Movie Ratings• Labels on CDs/DVDs• Advertising Strategies• Public Relations Strategies

What about personally…How TV (or all mass media) Effect Your

Brain Chemistry• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=zw_7CJ5ozaM

• http://www.kcci.com/r/22709760/detail.html

• But what is the psychological relationship?

Causal vs. Correlational Relationships

If A always causes B = causalIf A sometimes causes B = correlational

It’s not causal because there may be another variable contributing to the causeExample: Turning on the seatbelt light in airplane = turbulence?

Video Game Violence

• What should be done about violent video games?

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=678389n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox