Media%20effects

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Media effects

• How do the media influence us?

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Effects studies

• Early effects scholars
• Powerful effects theory
• Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion
• Harold Lasswell, WWII propaganda
• Bullet or hypodermic needle theory
• Assumes that people are passive, uncritical

3
Minimalist effects theory

• Paul Lazarsfeld, 1948
• Two-step flow model
• Status conferral
• Agenda setting
• Narcotizing dysfunction
• Media lull people into passivity

4
Cumulative effects theory

• Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann
• cumulative effects theoryspiral of silence model
• dominant view can snowball through the media
• dominant view not sufficiently challenged
• people fear rejection

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Uses and gratifications studies

• challenges to audience passivity
• reevaluation of scholarly assumptions
• gratifications--why people use media
• surveillance function--scan environment for
  danger
• socialization function--helps us maintain
  social relationships
• parasocial relationships--artificial

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Gratifications, cont

• diversion function
• stimulation
• relaxation
• release

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Consistency theory

• individual selectivity
• selective exposure
• we choose our media
• selective perception
• Walter Lippmann We do not see first and then
  define we define first and then see.
• selective retention and recall
• 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast

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Socialization

• Medias initiating role
• by age 18, US children have watched 18,000-20,000
  hours of TV
• children learn prosocial behavior
• Role models--big influence
• Stereotyping--forms images in our mind
• Erosion of boundaries that separate
  generations--childrens exposure

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Media-depictions of violence

• learning about violence
• observational learning
• media violence--
• a catharsis?
• prods socially positive action?
• teaches us the world is a scary place

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Media violence as negative

• Aggressive stimulation theory
• Albert Banduras studies in 1960s
• Zamora case
• Bundy case
• Deer Hunter cases
• Catalytic theory-Schramm, Lyle, Parker
• for some children under some conditions

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George Gerbners Mean World Syndrome

• Societally debilitating effects of violence
• media world is more dangerous real world
• desensitizing theory--more violence is necessary
  to make an impact
• Gerbner Index since 1970s
• 30,000 murders, 40,000 attempted murders seen on
  TV by age 18
• give up freedom for personal safety

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Media agenda-setting

• creates awareness
• establishes priorities
• perpetuates issues
• not what to think, but what to think about

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Media induced anxiety and apathy

• information overload or pollution
• New York Times--12 million words! More info in
  one day than in a 17th century persons lifetime!
• media induce passivity--couch potato
• we neglect sports, neighborhood community
  activities
• well informed futility