COM 275 Exam 1

Sample Question: Which of the following is one of the six concepts of audience research when discussing how big of an audience the message reaches? A) Internal Audience B) Children's Audience C) Prime Time Audience D) External Audience E) Attentive Audience

E) Attentive Audience

Sample Question: All of the following are positive reasons to use experiments except: A) they are good for establishing causality B) they are relatively inexpensive C) they give the researcher a lot of control D) they allow us to make decisions about what "ought" to be E) they allow observation of people in natural settings

E) they allow observation of people in natural settings

What is information theory?

-communication is the intentional transfer of information -content should be judged by its efficiency in reducing uncertainty

What are the conflicting influences on organizations and individuals?

-constraint vs autonomy - commerce vs art -profit vs social purpose -routine production vs creativity

What is longitudinal research?

-Cohert Study: same people @ multiple times -Panel Study: different people @ multiple times

Understand perspectives of 19th Century Beginnings

-Powerful Media Effects -Limited Media Effects -Effects of Varying Levels

Why was the "War of the Worlds" important?

-Used as evidence powerful media effects -However, not all viewers reacted the same

What are the different critical perspectives of media content? What are their characteristic differences?

-ability to fulfill intended functions -domination of media establishment MARXIST APPROACHES -media contain images favorable to the ruling class ex: grey goose vodka

What was Waples contribution to communication research?

-added "under what conditions" to the famous definition of communication "who says what..."

What is content analysis?

-asses what is presented in media -purely descriptive -research outcomes

What are the four major types of audiences?

-audience as a group or public -naturally preexisting groups -gratification set as audience -taste cultures -the medium audience -users of particular medium/time -audience as defined by content -fans of particular products

What is the fourth estate?

-based on the theory of the free press -right to publish free of censorship is essential for a democracy -theory of social responsibility concluded: -ownership of media is a public trust -press must be truthful, accurate, and objective -press should be free but self regulated -government should intervene only to protect public interest

What are the fundamentals of the Mass Society Theory?

-corresponds to the 'dominance' model of media power -media controlled by dominate elite -produce standardized content promoting owns interests -strong influence on audience

What is traditional content analysis?

-dominant empirically oriented paradigm -a research technique for the objective, systematic, quantitative description of the manifest content of communication -two main assumptions 1)link between the external object and reference is clear 2)frequency of occurrence will 'express' meaning -limits -risk of imposing incorrect meaning system

What was Lewin's contribution to communication research?

-dynamics of group communication ("sweetbreads" study)

What was Lazarsfeld's contribution to communication research?

-effects on radio -"opinion leaders" -two step model flow of media effects

What was Hovland's contribution to communication research?

-experimental research about media effects on attitude change (first experiments in mass communication) -effects on military training films

What is structuralism? What are its characteristic features?

-explores the nature of sign systems that regulate latent meaning of texts -suggests that signs evoke meaning by their use and association with a culture -goal is to identify the 'cultural meaning' of media content -sign composed of signifier plus signified -signifier is physical part -signified is mental representation -signification= process of giving meaning -using a sign to give meaning to a referent -connotation and denotation -connotation is derived from associations -denotation is literal meaning (dictionary def)

What was Lasswell's contribution to communication research?

-five question model -three functions of mass communications should serve in society 1) surveillance of the environment (to inform) 2) correlate society's response to events in the environment (to guide) 3) transmission of cultural heritage (to educate)

What was Berelson's contribution to communication research?

-five variables in generalization -there is evidence that: -some communication -on some issues -on some people -under some conditions -have some effects

What are some of the characteristics of the modern mass media audience?

-larger -more dispersed -individualized and privatized

What is a model, and what are the differences between linear, interactive and transactional models?

-linear model: stimulus response psychology -interactive model: stressing feedback and exchange -transactional model: stress independence `

What are the types of theories of media-society relations?

-macro-theories: dealing with media as part of the larger social setting -media institution theories: focusing on the workings of the media as organizations -audience theories: concerned with audience uses of media

What are experiments?

-manipulation of key variable -random assignment to asses casual relationships

What are the four typologies of culture-society relations?

-materialism: society and media -idealism: media > society -interdependence: media < > society -autonomy: society media

What are the fundamentals of the Modernization and Development Theory?

-media can promote modernization and development -particularly in the developing world -media can disseminate -skills and technical -progressive work ethic -democracy -media can be educational, health, and welfare

What are the fundamentals of the Critical Political-Economic Theory?

-media economics and technology concentrate ownership -results in commodification of content and audiences -public interest is subordinated

What was Klapper's contribution to communication research?

-media effects generalization 1) ordinarily, media are not a necessary or sufficient cause of change 2) typically, mediating factors result in media being an agent of reinforcement rather than change 3) when media does cause change, two things are likely -mediating factors are inoperative, allowing a direct mass media effect -mediating factors impel change

How does technology influence culture?

-media logic -cultivation -global culture -postmodern culture

What was Schramm's contribution to communication research?

-mediating factors -selective processes -social categories perspective

What are the fundamentals of the Marxist Theory?

-middle/ruling class controls media -media and other social institutions operate in owner's interest -media create a false consciousness among working class -middle/ruling class monopolize media to halt political opposition and preserve status quo

What are the fundamentals of the Information Society Theory?

-new communication technology promotes social change by -an economy based on the production of information as commodity -the prominence of information related occupations -a greater volume of information flow -integration and convergence of activities

What are the five categories central to the media-society debate?

-ownership: should be plurality -order: should assist in maintenance -expectations: should be fair, accurate, and complete -values: should support dominant values of society -rights: should respect the rights of individuals

What was Stouffer's contribution to communication research?

-pioneered the use of empirical research -emphasized control for audience traits -noted problems for measuring cumulative effects

What are Biocca's different definitions of "activity"?

-selectivity -utilitarianism -intentionality -resistance to influence -involvement

What characterizes the Payne Fund Studies?

-series of studies commissioned to exam audience, content, and effects -focused on children and adolescent's film

What are the fundamentals of the Communication Technology Determinism Theory?

-social change is direct result of communication technological innovation -the form, content or use of each new technology is biased -this bias influences social structure -communication revolution leads to social change

What was Bandura's contribution to communication research?

-social learning theory -social cognitive theory

What are the major perspectives of mass communication research?

-social scientific -culturalist -focused on construction of meaning from texts -texts include all cultural artifacts

What are the fundamentals of the Functionalism Theory?

-society is compressed of interdependence institutions concluding media -all respond and contribute to needs of society -media contribute by -promoting order, control and stability -manipulating and transmitting culture, norms, and values -reducing tension by providing entertainment

How do structural features and organizational routines/practices affect media content?

-structural features influence organization conduct, performance, and product -organizational routines, practice and goals can influence media content often more strongly than personal or ideological factors

What are the six major concepts of reach?

-the 'available' audience -the 'paying' audience -the 'internal' audience -the 'cumulative' audience -the 'target' audience

What four areas of concerns do cultural theorists deal with?

-the notion of mass culture -questions of gender and subculture -role of new technology -political-economic issues

How is quality evaluated in research using a "media performance discourse" approach?

-usually based on some notion of public interest such as: -freedom and independence -content diversity -new objectivity -reality reflection or distortion

What are the five media-organizational relations that organizations have with outside forces? How do these relationships impact content?

-with society -goals of media organizations -the journalist's rule -sense of professionalism -with pressure and interest groups -outside agencies can influence content when -commercial interests are threatened or -bad publicity is feared(non-commercial reason) -with owners and clients -proprietor influence -media owners tend to set broad lines of policy -the influence of advertisers -media producers veer to self-censorship -sponsorship for programs can shape content -with audience -audience not a salient concern to some content creators -hostility to audience -an alternative view of need -insulation and uncertainty -dated images of audience -with internal structure and dynamics -division exists within the organization -results in creation of different work cultures

Sample Question: Which author became famous for his five question model of media effects: A) Harold Lasswell B) Walter Lippmann C) Paul Lazarsfeld D) Joseph Klapper E) Samuel Stouffer

A) Harold Lasswell

Sample Question: The "Fourth Estate" refers to the notion that? A) The media is a public trust and should be free but self-regulated. B) The media should be heavily regulated by the government. C) The media should be owned by the elite of society. D) Media access should be free and available for all citizens. E) Media are property owners just like individuals.

A) The media is a public trust and should be free but self-regulated.

Sample Question: A model of communication based on principles of stimulus-response psychology is which kind of model? A) linear B) interactive C) transactional D) false E) reciprocal

A) linear

Sample Question: Which part of the culture-society relations typology would say that society has a big impact on culture, but culture does not impact society? A) materialism B) idealism C) interdependence D) autonomy E) regulation

A) materialism

What is Laswell's five-factor model of communication?

Attempt to answer -"who... -...says what... -...in which channel... -...to what... -...with what effect?"

Sample Question: Which dichotomy is NOT one of the conflicting influences on organizations and individuals? A) Commerce vs. art. B) Liberal vs. conservative. C) Constraint vs. autonomy. D) Profit vs. social purpose. E) Routine production vs. creativity

B) Liberal vs. conservative

Sample Question: As a cultural theorist, you are concerned with the portrayal of homosexual men on network television. Specifically, you are concerned that the stereotype of the "effeminate gay man" that is glorified in shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Will and Grace is an unfair, negative representation of homosexual men. What is your specific concern? A) As people lose their individual cultures, mass society is ignoring gay men. B) Not all homosexual men are "prissy" and you worry that this representation is an unfair, negative stereotype of homosexuality as a subculture. C) You're worried that newer cable technologies are not as accessible to homosexuals as they are to other parts of the population. D) You're concerned that advertisers are unfairly marketing their shows in order to appeal to a homosexual base that may have more expendable income. E) None of the above

B) Not all homosexual men are "prissy" and you worry that this representation is an unfair, negative stereotype of homosexuality as a subculture.

Sample Question: According to Lazarsfeld, opinion leaders receive information from the media and then pass it along to many others (i.e., many people thus learn indirectly from the media). This is known as what? A) Opinion leadership model B) Two step flow model C) Interactive model D) Transactional model E) Media flow theory

B) Two step flow model

Sample Question: Nick wants to study the effect of violent media on children. To do this, he designs an experiment in which children are randomly assigned to either view a violent movie or a non-violent movie, and then Nick measures the children's aggressive behaviors. What method of research is this? A) content analysis B) experiment C) survey D) meta-analysis E) triangulation

B) experiment

Sample Question: The goal of the behavioral tradition in audience research is: A) To obtain reliable estimates of size B) Finding media effects and media uses C) Concern with popular culture D) Identifying reflections of particular social-culture E) None of the above

B) finding media effects and media uses

Sample Question: The Payne Fund Studies focused on which of the following: (the impact of...) A) widespread television adoption B) violent and sexually explicit film on children C) war propaganda in the U.S. and Europe D) comic book readership among children E) socialism on children's media usage

B) the impact of violent and sexually explicit film on children

Sample Question: President Woodrow Wilson established this agency during WWI to engage in propaganda and censorship activities: A) Office of Technology Assessment B) Central Intelligence Agency C) Committee on Public Information D) National Security Agency E) Federal Radio Commission

C) Committee on Public Information

Sample Question: Ex-President Bill Clinton has just donated $3 billion to a world-wide initiative to curb global warming. Rupert Murdoch, the head of Fox News and an ardent opponent of Clinton and his green policies, does not want his news organization to cover the event. How would he flex his influence and promote his personal agenda? A) At the editorial meeting, Murdoch "called out" his editors, telling them that "this Clinton this is just a press party" and not to glorify it with a news story. B) As a content editor, Murdoch simply buries the story, placing it in the "not fit for print" pile of his desk. C) In the company's pre-existing editorial guidelines, the policy is "let the rain forest burn" and, thus, the story is bumped for coverage of a car bombing in Kabul. D) Murdoch doesn't really have much influence in the situation, and coverage of the event is up to his editorial staff. E) None of the above

C) In the company's pre-existing editorial guidelines, the policy is "let the rain forest burn" and, thus, the story is bumped for coverage of a car bombing in Kabul.

Sample Question: Which of the following is not one of the questions in Lasswell's five question model of communication? A) Who? B) Says what? C) When? D) To whom? E) Through what channel

C) When?

Sample Question: Which of the following types of communication is least likely to involve mutual interaction: A) interpersonal communication B) media communication C) mass communication D) All three E) none

C) mass communication

Sample Question: All of the following characterized 1920's Mass Society except: A) interpersonal communication became more difficult B) media became important information sources C) trust became increasingly important to social structure D) social differentiation increased E) people had less-strong interpersonal ties to one another

C) trust became increasingly important to social structure

Sample Question: Which theory of media-society relations claims that the media creates a false consciousness among the working class? A) Functionalism B) Mass Society theory C) Modernization and Development theory D) Marxist Theory E) Democracy

D) Marxist Theory

Sample Question: You were listening to the Mercury Broadcasting Company's rendition of War of the Worlds on Oct. 20, 1938. Unlike your neighbors, you knew the broadcast was purely for entertainment. Of the options below, all are reasons why you were not afraid except which one? A) You tuned into the radio broadcast at the beginning and hear the disclaimer B) You heard several inconsistencies in the broadcast and, thus, didn't trust it. C) You lived in Downer's Grove, New Jersey and were not aware of any commotion. D) Your radio, like most radios of the day, often malfunctioned and was not working that night; thus, you never heard the broadcast. E) You were skeptical of the radio broadcast, and checked the reports with other media outlets. Thus, you discovered that since no other news outlets were covering the "invasion" it must have been a hoax.

D) Your radio, like most radios of the day, often malfunctioned and was not working that night; thus, you never heard the broadcast

What defines mass communication?

Large scale distribution and reception process characterizes by: • One directional information flow • Impersonal source and anonymous receiver • Asymmetrical source-receiver association (organized powerful source) • Market (i.e., economic) exchange relationship • Standardized message content

What are the pros and cons of longitudinal research?

PROS -can see change over time CONS -validity threats -time and cost

What are the pros and cons of content analysis?

PROS -describes what's on -helps identify areas of interest and/or concern CONS -incomplete picture -no evidence of media's effects

What are the pros and cons of surveys?

PROS -generalization ability -good for description CONS -DOES NOT show causality -poor data quality

What are the pros and cons of experiments?

PROS: -precise control -can make causal conclusion CONS -situations are artificial (cannot generalize) -ethical/practical concerns

What are the strengths and weaknesses of traditional content analysis vs. the alternative (i.e. interpretive) methods of research?

Traditional Content Analysis: -Basic sequence -Two main assumptions -Link between the external object and reference will be clear -Frequency of occurrence will express 'meaning' -Limits to traditional analysis -Risk of imposing an incorrect meaning-system Alternative Perspectives: -Critical Perspectives on content

What are surveys?

asses the measurable characteristics of a naturally occurring population

What media audience model is associated with Clausse?

five layer model

What were the trends leading to modern society?

industrialization, urbanization, modernization

What is meant by the term mediation?

media's role in providing knowledge

What can be said about the Payne Fund Studies today?

studies did not show uniform effects

What is the magic bullet theory?

the assertion that media messages directly and measurably affect people's behavior

What are commodification, commercialization, and hegemony? How are they related? How are they distinct?

they are all political-economic issues which are an important concern to cultural theorists

What is characteristic of normative theory?

value judgements concerning how media ought to operate