Mass Media Effects: The Scientific Approach

1. Mass Media Effects: The Scientific Approach COM 226, Summer 2011 PPT #1 Includes chapters 2-3 of DeFleur textbook

2. First, some terminology:What do we mean by MASS MEDIA? • What is MASS? • What is a MEDIUM?

3. What do we mean by MASS MEDIA? • What is MASS? • Large, undifferentiated audience? • The large, general group is often defined by a certain demographic or other common characteristic(s) • A relatively recent phenomenon in history

4. What do we mean by MASS MEDIA? • What is MASS? • Large, undifferentiated audience? • The large, general group is often defined by a certain demographic or other common characteristic(s) • A relatively recent phenomenon in history • What is a MEDIUM? • Device interposed between source and receiver?

5. What do we mean by MASS MEDIA? • What is MASS? • Large, undifferentiated audience? • The large, general group is often defined by a certain demographic or other common characteristic(s) • A relatively recent phenomenon in history • What is a MEDIUM? • Device interposed between source and receiver? • HOW have these notions necessarily changed in recent years?

6. The Basic Communication Process

7. Traditional Mass Communication Model: NBC A single professional source  A large, undifferentiated audience (set of receivers)

8. Traditional Interpersonal Communication Model: Individual non-professional sources  Individual, specified receivers, with immediate feedback

9. UGC (User Generated Content)Mass Media Model: Individual non-professional acts as source  A large, undifferentiated audience

10. UGC (User Generated Content)Mass Media Model: Individual non-professional acts as source  A large, undifferentiated audience. . . WITH FEEDBACK

11. UGC (User Generated Content)Mass Media Model: Individual non-professional acts as source  A large, undifferentiated audience. . . WITH FEEDBACK. . . AND COMMUNICATION AMONG AUDIENCE MEMBERS

12. Mass and Interpersonal Communication • What is the dividing line? • DISCUSS

13. Basic Issues of Philosophy (textbook) • Being: The existence of reality • Knowing: Human understanding of reality • Doing: Responding to reality

14. Obtaining Valid Knowledge (textbook) • Sensory Experience as a strategy • Plato’s distrust of this—man in the cave • Metaphysical Reasoning as a strategy • Xeno’s paradox of Achilles and the tortoise • Modern Philosophy of Science as a strategy • Francis Bacon & Inductive Strategy • Rene Descartes & Deductive Strategy

15. Epistemologies:Four ways of knowing • 1) Personal experience—good, but… • …some things that are true for oneself may not be true for others. • …may not be able to detect effects. • 2) Intuition—usually works, but… • …sometimes reasoning may be faulty.

16. Epistemologies:Four ways of knowing • 3) Authority—can be important, but… • …authorities may be WRONG—hard to separate from biases, preconceptions, etc. • 4) Science—relies on systematic observation (vs. casual observation). • As a way of knowing, science works. • Best defined by its characteristics.

17. Characteristics of Science • 1. Objectivity—science strives to be free from biases and preconceptions. • 2. Empirical—science is based on observation. • 3. Probabilistic—based on regularities that have exceptions; looks for general patterns (vs. individual case studies). • 4. Systematic and cumulative—research builds on other research, thereby building knowledge.

18. Characteristics of Science • 5. Public—Methods and results must be fully disclosed and shared. • 6. Limited—cannot answer certain types of questions—but it can help answer them.

19. Types of questions science can answer: • 1) How much violence is there on TV? • 2) Do children watch violent TV shows? • 3) Does media violence cause children to become desensitized to violence in real life?

20. Types of questions science is NOT equipped to answer • 1) Given that TV violence causes kids to behave aggressively, what should be done about it? • 2) Should media do something more than merely distribute whatever content will earn them the greatest profits in the shortest time? • 3) Should media become more involved in educating children?

21. Goals of Science • 1. Describe empirical regularities and relationships. • 2. Predict future outcomes. • 3. Explain regularities and relationships. • 4. Control future outcomes.

22. Theory • Textbook: A theory is “a description of how something works.” • Others: “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” • DISCUSS

23. Theory • 1) Consists of a set of related statements • 2) These statements specify the relationships among concepts • 3) These concepts must have observable counterparts (i.e., be measurable) • 4) The theory will yield hypotheses (i.e., predictive statements of how variables relate) testable through observation.

24. Theory—Let’s apply Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory(from VIDEO—The Mean World Syndrome) • 1) Consists of a set of related statements • ???? • 2) These statements specify the relationships among concepts • ????

25. Theory—Let’s apply Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory(from VIDEO—The Mean World Syndrome) • 3) These concepts must have observable counterparts (i.e., be measurable) • ???? • 4) The theory will yield hypotheses (i.e., predictive statements of how variables relate) testable through observation • ?????

26. Empirical Methods for Testing Hypotheses Derived from Theory Experiment: At least one IV (independent variable) is manipulated; unit of data collection is often (but not always) in a controlled (e.g., laboratory) setting (if not, it may be called a field experiment)

27. Empirical Methods for Testing Hypotheses Derived from Theory Experiment: At least one IV (independent variable) is manipulated; unit of data collection is often (but not always) in a controlled (e.g., laboratory) setting (if not, it may be called a field experiment) Survey: Variables are measured as they “naturally” occur; unit of data collection is typically situated in its (his/her) natural environment; no variables are manipulated

28. Empirical Methods for Testing Hypotheses Derived from Theory Content Analysis: Really, a type of Survey in which the units to be studied are messages, not people (Neuendorf, 2002: “a summarizing, quantitative analysis of messages that relies on the scientific method (including attention to objectivity/intersubjectivity, a priori design, reliability, validity, generalizability, replicability, and hypothesis testing)”)

29. Empirical Methods for Testing Hypotheses Derived from Theory Content Analysis: Really, a type of Survey in which the units to be studied are messages, not people (Neuendorf, 2002: “a summarizing, quantitative analysis of messages that relies on the scientific method (including attention to objectivity/intersubjectivity, a priori design, reliability, validity, generalizability, replicability, and hypothesis testing)”) Qualitative Methods: Includes such variants as ethnography, narratology, focus groups, and participant observation; the researcher, and their knowledge and skills, are an integral part of the measurement process

30. Typical Methods Used for Examining Parts of the Communication Model