Chapter 13: Media Use and the Selective Individual

Opinion Followers

Those who listen to what "opinion leaders" say about social or governmental issues.

Cognitive Dissonance

When media messages we disagree with create dissonance, which creates psychological discomfort that we seek to avoid or eliminate. So we either: change our minds, or shrug off the new information as inaccurate, unreliable, not trustworthy, or incomplete.

Selective Exposure

Audience members either consciously or subconsciously select information that is consistent with their preexisting attitudes and beliefs and avoid sources they disagree with.

Selective Perception

Audience members interpret media messages in a way that makes them consistent with what they already believe.

Selective Retention

Audience members remember media messages consistent with their preexisting attitudes and beliefs.

Limited Effects Era

Little was found in the powerful effects theory and said they found people chose what to believe and what to reject.

Two-Step Flow Theory

People's opinions are "filtered" through the perceptions of others.

Selective Processes

Selective exposure, selective perception, selective retention.

Media Dependency Theory

The more dependent we are on the media or certain functions in our lives, the greater the effect of that particular media will be.