ComArts 325 Exam 1

b. False

11. In Wesley and McLean's model of communication, the presence of gatekeepers suggests that the model describes primarily face-to-face conversation between two individuals. a. True b. False

a. True

12. In uses and gratifications approach, individuals are assumed to be aware of their needs and they choose to use the media that best meet their needs. a. True b. False

b. attitudinal

According to Pan's lecture, in an early study on the 1940 presidential campaign, Lazarsfeld and his colleagues found that the campaign had limited persuasive effects, measured by changing candidate preferences. Placed in the media effects matrix that Pan discussed in his lecture, their study focused primarily on the ____________________ effects of media. a. cognitive b. attitudinal c. behavioral d. neuropsychological e. Learning

b. Science is the best way of knowing because it can answer all questions that we encounter.

Based on Glenn Sparks' chapter and Pan's lecture on social science research, which of the following is NOT an accurate characterization of science as a way of knowing? a. Science is one of several ways of knowing about the world around us. b. Science is the best way of knowing because it can answer all questions that we encounter. c. Scientific knowledge is built on systematic observations. d. Accurate prediction is one of the goals of science. e. Scientists strive toward explanation and understanding.

Define Media (plural of medium)

Channels, devices, venues, platforms The channel through which a message travels from the source to the receiver

Describe the Chapel Hill study

Content Analysis: Salience and Duration of media Coverage of an Issue Surveys: What is the most salient issue facing the country Findings: Ranking of issues in media coverage ←→ Ranking of their perceived importance strong and positive correlations between media agenda and public agenda. Did they prove that media agenda CAUSES public agenda? NO → They demonstrate a correlation between the two

Describe the Iyengar and Kinder's Experimental Studies

Creating "doctored network evening news" Participants: Real voters from local communities Random assignment to watch one or another version of the network news Viewing situation: mimicking people's living room TV viewing situation Before-after comparisons

Describe Truth Discernment (political parties)

Deliberative Thinkers > Intuitive Thinkers in truth discernment Trump supporters were, overall, less likely to form accurate beliefs about news contents Clinton supporters were more aware of her campaign → could more easily tell if a story was false

Define Masspersonal Model of Mass Communication

Encompasses both mass and interpersonal communication Variations in perceived exclusivity of message access and message personalization 4 Quadrants Quadrant I: Private and Personal Quadrant II: Public and Impersonal Quadrant III: Public and Personal Quadrant IV: Private and Impersonal

Describe the Pull (toward integration) and push (toward fragmentation) forces

Fragmentation: societal implications of selectivity and media multitasking People → [centripetal force] → integration via correlation and socialization People ← {centripetal force] ← Fragmentation due to selectivity and multitasking Fragmentation of the... Market Audience Public Contributing forces Individual selectivity Media's niche marketing via specialty (or niche) media Media multitasking: fragmented media experiences Potential mitigating forces Abundance of media (affordance issue) "Opportunistic" media uses (user behavior issue) - what is available to us? Audience overlap in "media repertoires" (overlap of the above two)

Trends in the changing media and mass communication

From Mass to "Masspersonal" Communication Mass communication is a form of communication that involves: Mass audiences (markets) Mass production (of messages) Professional operations (of content production and distribution) in industrial settings Channel abundance → better informed citizenry? (plausible) Scenario #1: Channel abundance → selectivity → widening of the knowledge gap? New Media Technologies → greater availability of media entertainment → less informed citizenry → lower voter turnout

What is Gatekeeping?

Gatekeeping = process of mediation Of influence, achieved by social actors who Regulate the flow of information Implement the institutional and organizational logic in media production Complete the mediating process via their activities Not all gatekeepers have the same objectives, often Sources: withhold information Journalists: uncover information Systems: organizations, structures, and institutional rules

Describe the widening of the preference-based gap

more channels → easier selectivity based on relative entertainment preference → widening the preference-based gap

What are the elements of human communication?

Encoding/Decoding Gatekeeping Media and Mediation (multiple meanings)

Define Internet Model of Mass Communication

"Pull" model: the receiver pulls only the information that he/she wants Not one-way User base non linear

What are Harold Lasswell's 5 types of analysis?

"Who" referred to "control analysis" "Says What" referred to "content analysis" "In Which Channel" referred to "media analysis" "To Whom" referred to "audience analysis" "With What Effect" referred to "effect analysis"

Describe Inadvertent Learning

"learning in the absence of interest or motivation" In a high-choice environment with vibrant public service media outlets, inadvertent learning could narrow the motivation-based knowledge gap There is evidence of inadvertent or accidental learning; it could level off knowledge inequality, if there is prominent presence of information-rich outlets Problems of (1) civic learning and the high-choice media environment and (2) inadvertent learning Spread of misinformation and fake news Partisanship trumps analytic reception Understanding of climate change as an example

Define Utility

"the advantage, pleasure, or fulfillment a person gains from obtaining or consuming a good or service"; Dominick (pp. 40-44), using media → Cognition Diversion Social Utility Affiliation Expression Withdrawal - completely pretend you're not in the world you live in (pretending your homework doesn't exist); not engaged with the other medium at all

What are the 4 Media Repertoires identified in Taneja et al.?

'Media at home:' that weds a place-based medium (television) to its predominant uses 'Media at work:' people were predominantly using computers for office productivity during work hours, occasionally accessing news and sports websites 'Media online:' computer screen 'Media on mobile:' evidenced during one's commute, when other media are unavailable, even though mobiles are available at all other times

Describe Iyengar & Hahn's study on Red media and Blue media

(Diagram on Study Guide) Effect of outlet label Manifestation: congruence between one's belief and the perceived orientation of a media outlet or content that he/she consumes Republican → "Red Media" Democrat → "Blue Media"

What is Encoding/Decoding?

(packing/unpacking); could also have additional, technical meanings (like morse code)

Describe the Structuralist Functionalist Perspective

A biological analogy (society <-> living organism) Interrelated parts Division of "labor" among the parts Usefulness of each part to the whole Equilibrium (stability) Dynamics of self-adjustment to accommodate lost capacity/function In the same way that the skin holds the human body, so too do norms and values bind a society

Define the Knowledge Gap

Differential Rates of Knowledge Acquisition Speed of learning Inequality; Cumulative effect; Can low-educated people catch up? Changing Media Environment Channel abundance → better informed citizenry? (plausible) Scenario #1: Channel abundance → selectivity → widening of the knowledge gap? Markus Prior (2005) Scenario #2: Relative preference for news + access to cable and/or internet → more exposure to news → more knowledge Relative preference for entertainment + access to cable and/or internet → less exposure to news → less knowledge SES-based Individual preference-based Larger gap in high/low education levels (knowledge gap) in the United States compared to the UK and Denmark In a high-choice environment with vibrant public service media outlets, inadvertent learning could narrow the motivation-based knowledge gap Two Sources: Due to structural inequality: high vs. low Due to individual's voluntary choice: high vs. low relative entertainment preference

Definition of Media Literacy (Renee Hobbs)

Digital and Media literacy: a constellation of life skills that are necessary for full participation in our media-saturated, information rich society Five Competences that form a "spiral of empowerment" Act Assess Analyze and Evaluate Create Reflect

Describe the Media Effects Matrix

Effects of what, in what domain, on whom, under what conditions, via what mechanisms? An organizing template Many different ideas Helps us think about different media effects in different situations Template: Sources: Content-based vs. content irrelevant Domains: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral Units: individual, organizations, institutions, and culture Time Frame: short vs. long term, temporary vs. permanent Scope: universal vs. contingent (e.g., Cantril's study) Criteria: intentional vs. unintentional outcomes a. cognitive b. attitudinal c. behavioral d. neuropsychological e. Learning

Describe Lazarsfeld et al.'s studies

Election Study Limited (persuasive) effects Selective exposure Interpersonal filtering: Two-step flow (information coming from mass media reaches opinion leaders first; through them it would reach others; information is filtered out), opinion leadership Relationship between mass media, opinion leaders, and followers Findings: Conclusion: persuasive effect of ad campaigns is limited Political Predisposition → selective exposure → candidate preference Set Up: Erie County, Ohio (up to that point, Erie was very close to the national result in almost any presidential election) May-November, for 6 months, a panel of 600 voters Participants interviewed multiple times To what degree, for what reason, would voters change their preferences? Longitudinal study

Is the current media environment high or low choice?

High

Describe Social Connectivity

How many degrees apart are some random individuals in a population? Assessing social connectivity: Network size Homogeneity Online vs. offline Strong vs. weak ties (kin vs. nonkin) Facebook users (vs. non-users): more interconnected Social media uses: more prevalent, feeling better The decline thesis: less interconnected and lonelier in the Internet age? → REFUTED by Wang and WEllmann (2010); we did not become more socially isolated with the internet

c. New media technologies no longer involve a massive number of people using them.

In his lecture, Pan argues that the traditional conception of "mass communication," as visually depicted in Schramm's model, no longer captures today's communication with media. Which of the following is NOT among the reasons he offered to support this claim? a. Mediated communication is no longer limited to a few-to-many and unidirectional flow. b. Media are no longer simply a conduit with limited carrying capacity. c. New media technologies no longer involve a massive number of people using them. d. Content production and circulation are no longer controlled by a few professional "gatekeepers." e. Media convergence is blurring different modes of communication.

b. form of media presentation

In several books, the media theorist Neil Postman advanced the claim that TV is a very different medium compared with print media because television utilizes an audio-visual and nonlinear form of presentation. Children who grow up with this medium, are likely to be less efficacious in logical reasoning. 10. In this example, Postman was talking about the effect of ____________ on children. a. media content b. form of media presentation

b. Long

In several books, the media theorist Neil Postman advanced the claim that TV is a very different medium compared with print media because television utilizes an audio-visual and nonlinear form of presentation. Children who grow up with this medium, are likely to be less efficacious in logical reasoning. 9. In this example, Postman was talking about a ____________ -term effect of television. a. Short b. Long

b. had observers follow the participants all day and record their activities.

In their study on user-defined "media repertoires," Taneja and his colleagues collected data from a large sample of individuals from 6 different designated market areas. To collect the data on people's media use as part of their everyday routines, Taneja and his colleagues ... a. conducted a survey with a standardized questionnaire. b. had observers follow the participants all day and record their activities. c. used surveillance devices to track the participants' every move. d. observed the participants' activities in their lab. e. asked the participants to audio-record their own activities.

Definition of Media Literacy (Erstad and Amdam)

Individual cognitive perspective: Skills and tools To engage in critical analysis For protection from potential harm Critical Cultural Perspective Media competence Include all kinds of media in one's repertoire For effective participation in democratic processes

(a) surveillance

Jon Stewart, when he was hosting The Daily Show on Comedy Central, repeatedly claimed that his show was not a real news show. Rather, he was a comedian doing "fake news." But while watching the show and getting entertained, viewers also acquired some factual information on public affairs. To the extent that such learning took place, we may say that TV shows of this kind performed the ___________________ function. (a) surveillance (b) correlation (c) continuity (d) entertainment (e) mobilization

Define Partisan-Based Selectivity

Manifestation: congruence between one's belief and the perceived orientation of a media outlet or content that he/she consumes Republican → "Red Media" Democrat → "Blue Media" Social utility value trumps partisanship value

Discuss Media and Media Systems

Media System: the type of system that makes mass communication possible A media system shapes how and what communication messages (or cultural products) are produced, promoted, distributed, and received Understanding Media Systems (Questions to ask): Who own media and what are they used for? What policies regulate people in media? What do they do? How are media related to political power? How are media related to money (capital)?

What is Media and Mediation?

Mediation Understanding Mediation: Mediated communication: Via devices/channels/platforms Via signs/symbols Via systematic forces Communication as mediation: dynamic process of building and enacting our connections and belonging With new media: Mediation across different modes of communication Using the "gatekeeping" metaphor to think about mediated communication, in the present "infinite media" era, the "gate" through which information flows is no longer... Controlled entirely by trained professionals Limited in carrying capacity

List of Theories

Mere Presence Effect/iPhone effect (mere presence is the umbrella of iPhone effect; the mere presence of the phone will distract you; the iPhone effect is when you realize someone is less engaged due to their phone) Uses and Gratifications theory Gratification Niche (We choose our media based on its physical features or its affordance (what the media has to offer us) Media Richness (How may social cues are within communication; how close a medium is to face-to-face communication; facetiming is very rich; email is not rich) Small World (We're closer to people than we think; six degrees of Kevin Bacon) Media Multitasking (we suck at multitasking; people who are more neurotic tend to multitask more) Limited Effects Model (not everything affects people the same way) Coevolution Perspective (idea that media evolves with people; as we get more advanced, the media gets more advanced) Limited effects of Mass Communication Theory (mass media filter out information through opinion leaders) Knowledge Gap (people with higher education learn more; people with less education can't necessarily catch up)

Describe the Third-Level Agenda Setting

Network Agenda Setting (NAS) The congruence of issue-constellations (issue bundles) in media and public's mind "news media gestalt" ←→ "public agenda gestalt" - Vu et al. (2014) Focusing: Not on each individual issue, but on inter-relationships among issues and attributes

Describe Media Attributes

News and Information: Low Market-Based; High Public Service International: Low Market-Based; High Public Service Opportunities for Learning: Low Market-Based; High Public Service Moderating Effect of Interest: Strong Market-Based; Weak Public Service Motivation Based Knowledge Gap: Wide Market-Based; Narrow Public Market

Describe the Liberal Commercial Media System in the US

Private ownership "A free and responsible press" Profit-seeking: driving force Commodification: a process of manufacturing, marketing, and consuming products to satisfy needs and wants → independence, diversity, openness, responsiveness, factuality

(e) All of the above

Scholars have shown that people choose to use the media of communication (e.g., in-person, email, smartphone, TV, newspapers) that meet their needs. One simple reason is that different media are based on different technologies and have different features. Which of the following concepts is based on this recognition? (a) Media attributes (b) Media affordance (c) Media repertoire (d) Media multitasking (e) All of the above

Describe Cantril's study on panicking reactions

Significance: The Mercury Theater radio show was NOT a "magic bullet" that "hit" everybody with an equal force Religiosity, lower educational level, tuned in half way, didn't check with others (i.e., lower level of "critical ability") → higher likelihood of panicking Illustrated the key logic of social scientific research: explaining variations Some were more susceptible Effects are not uniform

Discuss the Findings of Messing & Westwood: Red media, blue media, and social media

Social utility value trumps partisanship value Social endorsement cues: "most liked", "most read", "most emailed" P. 1046: "...if social endorsement affect selection to a greater extent than source labels, then, there is some hope for cross-cutting exposure in the context of social media" In the social media era: social endorsement cues > partisan source cues? YES

What are the 6 media functions? (Structuralist Functionalist Perspective)

Surveillance: Information Correlation: Linkage Socialization: Continuity (get the next generation ready) Entertainment: Enjoyment and appreciation Interpretation (Dominick) Mobilization (Charles Wright)

Definition of Media Literacy (Stanley J. Baran)

To enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content Access Decode Interpret To critique and use media content in a social and civic engagement Contextualize Causal analysis To produce and disseminate media content for social change Use tools, platforms Situate and causal analysis

Differ between Obtrusive and Unobtrusive

Unobtrusive: we don't know about them in our daily lives; we don't consider them; rely on the media for; we don't have personal experiences Obtrusive: we understand better; we know about them in our daily lives; personal experience; don't need the media

Define Gratification Niche

We choose our media based on its physical features or its affordance (what the media has to offer us John Dimmick's Gratification Niche Theory; the gratification niche (of a medium) A unique service that a medium provides in the whole constellation of our needs A distinct use opportunity that a medium provides us in our overall patterns of media use A unique way for users to obtain certain gratification from a medium Relationships among media: Complementary: different media, different gratification niches Competition: different media, an overlapping niche We have diverse needs A metaphor: we conduct our life as an orchestra We use multiple media (devices, platforms, sources) in varying contexts for different needs

Describe the Concept of Uses and Gratifications

We select media to use...for our own gratifications Selective Use: Need-based rational act Conscious awareness, goal-directed Selectivity: Social implications Media multitasking: Needs, gratifications, & media multitasking: self-perpetuating and habit forming

Describe Facebook (Uses and Gratifications Model)

What possible activities does Facebook afford? (affordance) What do you use Facebook regularly for? (practices) Various uses of Facebook Expressive information sharing Social interaction and habitual pass time Companionship Professional advancement Facebook users (vs. non-users): more interconnected Social media uses: more prevalent, feeling better The decline thesis: less interconnected and lonelier in the Internet age? → REFUTED by Wang and WEllmann (2010); we did not become more socially isolated with the internet

(e) The study shows that media multitasking affects cognitive outcomes negatively.

Which of the following describes something accurate about the meta-analysis study by Jeong and Hwang on the possible effects of media multitasking? (a) It is a laboratory experiment on the effects of media multitasking on individuals' task switching capacity. (b) The study analyzes the results from a survey of a large sample of media multitaskers. (c) The results show that heavy media multitaskers are lousy at media multitasking. (d) The study shows correlational data on media multitasking and cognitive efficiency. (e) The study shows that media multitasking affects cognitive outcomes negatively.