Final Exam Flashcards
Macro-Level Cognitive Effects: Effects on public knowledge
- Aggregate effects are different than individual effects
- Data are from individuals
- But focus is on general knowledge of society
Macro-Level Cognitive Effects: two key types of messages
- News
2. Public information campaigns
Three key theories of information flow
- Two-step flow theory
- Diffusion of information/innovation
- Knowledge gap theory
People’s Choice Study: Two main findings
- Person-to-person communication more influential than media
- Media > opinions leaders > individuals
What does the Diffusion of Innovations/Information attempt to explain
How an innovation (or information) is communicated over time through different channels to members of a social system
Diffusion of Innovations/Information: Four Key Elements
- Innovation
- Communication
- Time
- Social System
Diffusion of Innovations/Information 5 Sections
- Innovators
- Early Adopters
- Early Majority
- Late Majority
- Laggards
Explain the knowledge gap theory
Some individuals learn much more from media than others.
-As media access grows, the gap grows larger
Most important predictors in the Knowledge Gap Theory
- Education
2. Socioeconomics status
Explain Digital Divide
As technology becomes more prevalent, so does the recognition that not everyone has it
The digital divide happens at three levels
- Economic
- Usability
- Empowerment
List some examples of Effects of news
- Expands one’s knowledge base
- Offers information about things we cannot experience
- News messages create and maintain a collective memory and communal experience
The two problems with news feed algorithms
- Filter bubbles
2. Echo Chambers
Explain Filter bubbles
- Seeing only content you like and agree with
- Information gets so personalized you no longer see other perspectives
Explain Echo chambers
- Ideas amplified and reinforced in a closed system
- Competing views are censored, or underrepresented
Effect of public information campaigns
Public service or information campaigns are designed to improve your life with information
Macro-Level Belief Effects Include
- Formation of public beliefs
- Belief of the public
List two examples of how media forms public beliefs
- Agenda Setting
- Cultivation
What are the three main beliefs of the public?
- Beliefs about institutions
- Beliefs about the government
- Beliefs about media
Agenda Setting Theory
The press doesn’t tell us what to think, but tells us what to think about
Cultivation theory
The more time people spend with media the more likely they are to believe the social reality portrayed there
Explain mainstreaming
Despite initial individual differences, heavy TV viewers become more similar in views and beliefs
Explain Resonance
When a person’s real-life environment strongly resembles environment depicted in media
example of measurement of Public Attitudes and opinion regarding - mass shootings and guns
Use of Twitter to analyze how people feel about gun restriction
Explain the copycat phenomenon
- Viewers imitating the violent behavior they see on TV
- Why? The promise of media attention
Reporting on Mass Shootings: What the media should not do
- Do not romanticize the shooter
- Do not focus on the shooter’s methods or weapons
- Do not frequently post the shooter’s photo & name in updates
- Do not report on the shooter’s motives until an investigation has been completed.
Reporting on Mass Shootings: What the media should do
- Do describe the shooter’s behavior as illegal and harmful
- Do focus on the pain and suffering caused by the incident
- Do include links to resources for viewers
List two examples of how mass media effects the political system
- Rise in primary elections (TV was a major influencer for this)
- Fall in nominating conventions
Explain frontrunners/front-loading
Media gives disproportionate coverage to early primaries, which influences later primaries
Name an effect of front-loading
Candidates now have to do well in first primary to get continued press coverage
Media Effects on nominating conventions
- Leading candidate is now know well in advance of nominating convention
- Shift in TV coverage from “gavel to gavel” in 1950s to only major speeches in 1990s
Media effects campaigns in what three ways?
- Spending
- News coverage
- Changing access to the public
Explain how spending effects political campaigns
-Political advertising spending increased 600% in early days of television
In 1965 what percentage of money was spent on rallies?
85%
In 1968 what percentage of money was spent on TV ads
50%+
Explain how News coverage effects political campaigns in negative ways
Critics say media are harmful to campaigns:
- Focus on superficial aspects rather than fundamental issues
- Horse-race structure (e.g., front runners)
- Focus on negative over positive
- Report on what candidates say without fact-checking
Explain how access to the public effects political campaigns
With each new medium, candidates have greater direct access to the public
Name four positive effects the internet has on politics
- Creativity
- Interactivity
- Independence
- Depth
Name five negative effects the internet has on politics
- Inequality
- Filterlessness
- Blurring
- Constant surveillance
- Cocooning
Media effects families in what three distinct ways?
- Media depictions of family
- Family interaction
- Media for family communication
List some changes in media’s depiction of family over time
- The changes in depiction on TV are similar to changes to family in real life
- Less “nuclear” families
- More kids outside of marriage
- More single parents
- More extended families
Explain trope
Storytelling shortcut we recognize and understand
Give examples of common family tropes
- The clueless dad
- The nagging mom
- The super mom
- The dysfunctional family
Study: Is mom still doing it all findings are?
Shift from focus on mom to focus on kids
Why do media portrayals of family matter?
Media portrayals of family influence public opinion about expectations of family value
Family Interaction With Media: Family media use is more fragmented
- Families consumer less media together
- When they do, there is less interaction around content
- Parental shift from introducing kids to culture, to protecting them from culture.
What are the three ways parents mediate media use?
- Restrictive mediation
- Instructive mediation
- Social co-use
Explain restrictive mediation
Parents set rules for use or prohibit use of certain media
Explain Instructive mediation
Parents explain or discuss certain aspects of media
Explain Social co-use
Parents and children consume media together
Effect of parental mediation of media: TV
Parental mediation of TV significantly increases children’s skepticism about media, public affairs media use, and involvement in politics.
Parental Mediation of Media: social media parents should do what three things?
- Develop awareness of kids’ use
- Create opportunities for digital detox
- Help kids figure out the “why” of their social media use
Chen Parent-college student communication example
CMC (Computer-Mediated Means Communication) between college students and parents have higher communication satisfaction. compared to FTF (Face to face) communication
Name three macro-level effects mass media has on society
- Information Technologies Shaping Society
- Functionalism
- Integration vs. Fragmentation
What role does information technologies have in shaping society
- The ability to write information down on portable documents
- The invention of the printing press
Explain “The medium is the message”
What is communicated is less important than how it’s communicated
Explain Hot Media
- High definition
- Requires less effort on our part
Explain Cold Media
Requires more effort on our part
Explain functionalism
Mass media serve key functions in society
Explain Surveillance as its related to functionalism
- News media provide constant surveillance for us, of our environment and give us more important information
- New media also provide constant surveillance of us, for others
Explain correlation as its related to functionalism
Mass media socialize us into a common way of thinking
relevant theories: cultivation and spiral of silence
Explain transmission as it relates to functionalism
Mass media transmit cultural heritage from generation to generation
Explain mobilization as it relates to functionalism
Mass media can be used by people to campaign for change and motivate people to social action
Explain Integration vs. Fragmentation
- Integration: Mass media serve to pull people together who would otherwise be scattered in some way
- Fragmentation: Society fragments as a result of mass media; reduction of the “public sphere”
Name three ways in which effects of mass media have on themselves
- New Technologies
- Concentration of ownership
- Socialization effects
List ways in which new technologies have been changed
- Journalism was changed by live TV reporting and now by social media
- TV programming was changed by user behavior and now by cord-cutting
- Broadcast and cable TV changed by digital video and now by on-demand streaming
Explain Vertical integration
- Greater program diversity and lower prices
- Shift from focus on channel to message
Critics argument on concentration of ownernship
- Concentration is harmful
- Mass media have a special responsibility to the public that other industries do not
- As competition among media companies decreases, content of messages changes (negatively)
What are the two main issues of concentration of ownership?
- Issues of access
2. Issues of diversity
Explain issues of access in relation to concentration of ownership
- Ownership over media companies
- Access to have your point of view heard
Explain issues of diversity in relation to concentration of ownership
-Fewer voices = fewer opinions
Proponents’ arguments for concentration of ownership
- Concentration is not harmful
- Large companies enjoy greater economies of scale
- No evidence that quality of messages has declined due to concentration
What is the media’s logic on socialization effects
Media socialize workers into roles that serve to preserve those organizations
What are the two issues with self report?
- Our behavioral intentions are “better” than our actual behaviors
- We are often unaware of what our actual behavior is
What is an attribute variable?
Superficial characteristic of a person
What are the two most common attribute variables?
- Sex
2. Age
Explain Calibration of Influence
Not all effects are equally powerful or prevalent
- Studies focus on statistical significance
- Not necessarily on substantive significance
What distinguishes mass media and non-mass media?
- Intentions of senders
a. Assemble and keep an audience - Channels of transmission
a. Use technology as tools for constructing & maintaining audiences - Mass media are organizations, not individuals
Name an example of caution in translating
Almost no mass media research examine media under “mass” conditions
What are the five steps to managing effects on ourselves?
- Increase awareness of your goals
- Thinks about how you can use media as tools
- Monitor your media exposure
- Alter your reactions to messages
- Alter your exposure patterns
What are the four parts that make up functionalism
- Surveillance
- Correlation and transmission
- Mobilization
- Integration vs. Fragmentation
