Chapter 18Professor Linda Bender

Two methods are used to gather information about media effects: Survey

Panel study – collects data from multiple points from same group

Experiment Field experiment

5 topics that generate the most media research The role of media in socialization

What is socialization? Cultivation analysis The impact of TV advertising on children

Placement of product in grocery stores Agenda setting Media exposure and cognitive skills

Agencies of socialization Media as primary source of information

What information does children get from TV Beavis and Butthead vs. Barney vs. Baywatch Music (Rock)

20% students listed as main source of moral values

25% source for interpersonal relationships

The Daily Show as main source of news

TV will be an influential force when the following factors are operative: The same ideas, people, or behaviors recur

consistently from program to program; that is, they are presented in a stereotyped manner.

A child is heavily exposed to TV content. A child has limited interaction with parents and

other socializing agents and lacks an alternative set of beliefs to serve as a standard against which to assess media portrayals

Concentrates on the long-term effects of exposure

Methodology Study content and identify predominant

themes and messages 2/3 to 3/4 of leading characters are males 60-80% of all programs contain at least one incidence of

violence

Examine what (if anything) the viewers absorb from heavy exposure

Most findings show that TV distorts peoples perceptions of the real world Heavy TV watchers see the world as more violent and are more

fearful Watching of TV (and especially pornography) can affect a

male’s perception of gender roles Validity of studies hampered by

Cause and effect (confounding factors) Mainstreaming (overrides cultural and social factors) and resonance

(real-life connections with TV) Technical (wording) questions

Fiji (anthropological study) female & self-perception Got TV in 1995 (ER, Seinfeld, Melrose Place) increase of bulimia, ¾

of female teenagers unhappy with body image

Cereal’s advertised by cartoon characters By high school graduation 350,000 TV commercials seen About 20,000 a year for toys, cereals, candies, and fast-food

restaurants TV advertisers should give special consideration to

children because: Children are a vulnerable audience and should not be

exploited by TV advertising Children, especially younger children, might be deceived by

TV techniques that make products appear more desirable then they really are

Long-term effects of exposure to TV ads might have a negative effect on a child’s socialization as a future consumer

Vulnerability of the audience Children 5-8 can tell the difference between ad and TV program,

little idea of purpose of ad Children 9-12, identify and understand purpose Now use “We will return after the messages” or “We now return

to..” Children under 5 do not understand, older children start to Effects of special selling techniques

Children do not understand that getting the toy does not equate to the experience presented

Consumer socialization One study showed that only 7% less 5th graders believed

commercials Amount of commercials seen does not make people better

consumers

Agenda-setting effect is the ability to move something to the top of the list of things to be considered Studies done on political campaigns

Clearly stated and has clear beginning and end points

Voters tend to agree with agenda importance that is shown in media

Media may help set the agenda, Do you agree? Framing, and agenda building

Study by Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly (2004) on blogging showed: Data gathered on 3,700 blog readers

93% white 76% male 93% at least some college 2/3 reported as conservative 74% rate blogs as moderately or very credible versus

46% newspapers 44% for newsmagazines 35% for cable news networks 15% for broadcast TV networks

Only 40% thought blogs were fair

Mass media has always been used by politicians to get their messages across

Since 1940s people have been labeled “opinion leaders”

1961 & 1964 senate subcommittee hearings showed that a large media diet had “an adverse effect on human character and attitudes”

1970 topic revisited when surgeon General linked exposure to TV violence with antisocial behavior

Again in 1980, 1990s, 1996 V-chip

Survey results Compares what they watch with

their self-report of aggressive tendencies

“Conclude that the evidence to date indicates that there is a significant correlation between the viewing of violent television programs and aggressive behavior in day-to-day life.”

In 1986 international study done in US, Finland, Australia, Israel, and Poland US & Poland TV correlated with later violence Finland – only for boys not girls Israel – only in urban not rural areas Australia – no correlation

Catharsis theory Goes as far back as Aristotle Viewing scenes of aggression can actually

purge the viewers own aggressive feelings Seeing violence makes one less likely to be violent

Stimulation theory Seeing violence stimulates the person’s violent

tendencies Most experiments prove stimulation theory

Bandura’s Experiement – Bobo doll, children even more violent then scenes viewed

Complicating factors – test films are “concentrated” violence/sex, home life factors may play part, including reactions from others

Field experiments – more typical environment, more natural reactions – US / Canadian TV – children exposed to US TV more violent

Prosocial behavior – sharing, cooperating, developing self-control, and helping Sesame Street

Surveys – children who watched Sesame Street were able to identify prosocial content, but several studies show little correlation between the viewing of prosocial viewing and behavior

Political behavior (mainly voting) Studies of voter turnout

Increased from 1924 to 1960, since then declined Maybe negative political ads have had an impact

Effects of the mass media on voter choice Media, along with social and psychological

Media does not lead to conversion (party change) Does effect reinforcement – strengthening support Does effect crystallization – sharpening and elaboration of

vaguely held attitudes or predispositions More splitting occurring (one party for federal level, another

at state)

Effects of televised debates 1960 Kennedy/Nixon (1st) TV debate

Sweat cost an election 1984 and 1988 debates played a role but not in 1996 or 2000 2004 Kerry perceived as “winning” debate but Bush won

election

Television & political behavior of politicians TV’s adoption means:

Nominating convention are now planned with TV in mind. They are designed not so much to select a candidate as to make a favorable impression on public opinion

Two major trends: Impact of Internet use on other media

Has most impact on TV (both tend to be used at night)

Relationship between Internet use and social involvement

Internet users tend to report loneliness and social isolation

More recent surveys show more social interaction What do you find to be true for you? In what ways is the first statement true? In what ways is the second statement true?

Privacy: threats, computers track all expenditures What do you use your ATM/credit cards for? Electronic government support ATM cards Electronic financial aid cards

Fragmentation and isolation More specialized markets all the time (for all media) Cocoon effect (sociologists) where people only surround

themselves with political and social information they find comforting, appealing, or acceptable

Telecommuting leads to even less interaction Escape – “What exactly is real life anyways?”

People have cyber vacations, sex and relationships.