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,GE8 | MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
Tuesday 11/04, 12.30
1|Page
, Lecture 1
Psychology
Scientifically studies human behavior in a certain social environment and
context
Behavior: Physically or mentally
Research area’s since WOII
1950 Film & TV in education
1957 Advertising
1960 Violence on TV (later: video and computergames)
1970 Television News
1980 Entertainment (soaps, later also reality tv, emotion tv, pornography)
1990 Digital media: relationships, (parasocial) interaction
2010 Social media
Aspects of Media Psychology
Psychology: effects of media products and the usage of media in general on individuals
Psychological theories about perception, memory, emotion etc.
Sociology: effect of media on society
Experiment as a method
Scientific model
Seeks to represent objects, phenomena and processes in a logical and objective way
Simplified reflections of reality
Despite their inherent falsity extremely useful
Always to be discussed and criticized
Mass Communication Theories
Hypodermic needle theory
Two step flow theory
The agenda setting theory
The reinforcement theory
The uses and gratifications theory
2|Page
, Hypodermic needle theory
Also called: magic bullet theory
Stimulus-response model
Intended message is directly received and fully accepted by the receiver
Audience members:
o Are interchangeable, passive, defenseless and vulnerable
o Respond to media in the same way, no individual differences
Strong, immediate and uniform media effects
One step flow theory: no filtering
The fast rise and popularization of radio and television
The emergence of the persuasion industries, such as advertising and propaganda
Hitler's monopolization of the mass media during WWII
Wrong image of the receivers
o Audience is not existing out of isolated individuals
o Social factors more effect than mass media
Neglecting mediating factors
o Selection of information:
o Selective use of media
o Selective perception of media content
o Social factors
o Individual factors
Two step flow theory (Lazarsfeld, Berelson & Gaudet, 1944)
Media first influence opinion leaders and opinion leaders influence others
Personal influence stronger than media
Today still applied: celebrity as opinion leader
Changed way of thinking about media effects
BUT not an accepted media effects model: media now available to everyone
Agenda setting theory (McCombs and Shaw, 1972)
Media (re)shape reality
The amount of media attention strongly influences the opinion of the audience on what is
important
Connected: framing theory (Goffman, 1974) – about the way media „frame‟ reality
3|Page
,GE8 | MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
Tuesday 11/04, 12.30
1|Page
, Lecture 1
Psychology
Scientifically studies human behavior in a certain social environment and
context
Behavior: Physically or mentally
Research area’s since WOII
1950 Film & TV in education
1957 Advertising
1960 Violence on TV (later: video and computergames)
1970 Television News
1980 Entertainment (soaps, later also reality tv, emotion tv, pornography)
1990 Digital media: relationships, (parasocial) interaction
2010 Social media
Aspects of Media Psychology
Psychology: effects of media products and the usage of media in general on individuals
Psychological theories about perception, memory, emotion etc.
Sociology: effect of media on society
Experiment as a method
Scientific model
Seeks to represent objects, phenomena and processes in a logical and objective way
Simplified reflections of reality
Despite their inherent falsity extremely useful
Always to be discussed and criticized
Mass Communication Theories
Hypodermic needle theory
Two step flow theory
The agenda setting theory
The reinforcement theory
The uses and gratifications theory
2|Page
, Hypodermic needle theory
Also called: magic bullet theory
Stimulus-response model
Intended message is directly received and fully accepted by the receiver
Audience members:
o Are interchangeable, passive, defenseless and vulnerable
o Respond to media in the same way, no individual differences
Strong, immediate and uniform media effects
One step flow theory: no filtering
The fast rise and popularization of radio and television
The emergence of the persuasion industries, such as advertising and propaganda
Hitler's monopolization of the mass media during WWII
Wrong image of the receivers
o Audience is not existing out of isolated individuals
o Social factors more effect than mass media
Neglecting mediating factors
o Selection of information:
o Selective use of media
o Selective perception of media content
o Social factors
o Individual factors
Two step flow theory (Lazarsfeld, Berelson & Gaudet, 1944)
Media first influence opinion leaders and opinion leaders influence others
Personal influence stronger than media
Today still applied: celebrity as opinion leader
Changed way of thinking about media effects
BUT not an accepted media effects model: media now available to everyone
Agenda setting theory (McCombs and Shaw, 1972)
Media (re)shape reality
The amount of media attention strongly influences the opinion of the audience on what is
important
Connected: framing theory (Goffman, 1974) – about the way media „frame‟ reality
3|Page
