Media Effects and How to be a Critical Consumer of MediaSOC 86 – Popular CultureRobert Wonser

Media Effects

• Several issues at play:• Timing (immediate vs. long term)• Duration (temporary vs. permanent)• Valence (negative or positive)• Change (difference vs. no difference)• Intention (or non-intention)• The level of effect (micro vs. macro)• Direct (or indirect)• Manifestation (observable vs. latent)

Media Effects: A Definition

• Therefore, media effects are those things that occur as a result—either in part or in whole—from media influence.• Can be individual, like:• Cognitive media effect (influences metal processes or

outcome)• Beliefs (cognitions about the probability that object or

event is associated with a given attribute.• Attitudes (judgments about something)• Affect (the feelings that people experience) • Physiological effect (can be pupil dilation, blood pressure,

sexual arousal, etc).• Behaviors (overt actions of an individual)

Media Influenced Functions

• Or, how the media exert an influence. 4 possible ways which span across the 6 possible effects.• Acquiring (when individuals take in ‘message

elements’; info, facts, tone of voice, pundits attitude, etc. an immediate effect).• Triggering (when during a media exposure the

media activates something that already exists in the individuals, like a stereotype. Also immediate.).

Media Influenced Functions

• Altering (during an exposure the media can change something that is already present in the individual).• Reinforcing (through repeated exposures, the

media gradually and continually add greater weight to something already existing in a person, thus making it more fixed and harder to change.

Media Effects Template: Individual Level Effects

Media Effects Template: Macro-Level Effects

Media Influence: Patterns

• At the most fundamental level media exert four patterns of influence:• Gradual long-term change • Long-term non-change (reinforcement)• Immediate shift• Short-term fluctuation change

Factors of Influence

• Factors about the Media Messages: • The medium (i.e. print vs. broadcast)• Genre (news vs. comedy)

• Factors about the Audience:• Demographics (i.e. gender, age, ethnicity, etc.)• Traits (fairly stable psychological characteristics of an

individual. E.g. IQ, extroversion, impulsiveness, etc.)• States (temporary conditions that an individual

experiences. E.g. drive for food, sex, info, entertainment, etc.)

Factors of Influence

• Factors About the Exposure Environment:• Sociological factors that reveal things like

whether people expose themselves to media alone or with others and if they discuss media with others or not. Also, how many TVs in house, where are they located, etc.?

What does the TV placement in a room tell us?

Most Influential Factors

• Arousing Nature:• Arouse us physiologically to get our attention

then arouse our cognitive interest to keep our attention.

• Consequences of Actions:• The media tell stories and signal to us what is

acceptable behavior or not.

Most Influential Factors

• Repetition:• Constant reminder over time and defines the

status quo. It is easier to go along the torrent than against it. It is like a metronome that hypnotizes us into routines.

• Point of View:• When the media tells its stories it does so from

a particular point of view.• Who’s point of view is the standard for

storytelling in our society?

Managing Effects on Ourselves

• Step 1: Increase awareness of your goals• Step 2: Think About How You Can Use the

Media as You tools• Step 3: Monitor Your Media Exposures• Step 4: Alter Your Reactions to Messages• Be self-reflective and critical as you

consume.• Step 5: Alter Your Exposure Patterns