Media Audiences
Studying "Media Effects" on Behavior -Transmission Model: helped found idea of mass communication studies # Bodies of Theory: Social Learning, Contagion, "Social Reality
Social Learning Theory -1940s psychologists: people can learn new behaviors through observation of others. Occurs when: -People are motivated to act like that person -When people observe others performing the behavior -When such behavior and/or imitative learning is somehow reinforced or rewarded -Albert Bandura applies to mass media: -Characters/actors are so attractive, audiences want to be like them -Media characters influence behaviors of audience simply by existing -Imitating/Modeling observed behavior, the sheer act of acting like media character reinforces the behavior -Bandura's "Bobo Doll" studies, media violence -Children exposed to watching violence = higher aggressive responses -Cartoon exposure > film exposure > real life exposure to aggression -Violence in the media, especially in cartoons, are much more likely to be aggressive or violent themselves because of Social Learning Theory
Contagion -Moral panics about copycat behaviors of specific criminal or anti-social acts -ex: Columbine, poisonings in 60's they attributed to this (cases increase after media coverage)
"Social Reality" as Mediator of Behavior -The media, particularly MASS media, shapes our perception of the world at large, and our own behaviors based on the perception of that reality. -Media & culture help us build idea of world that we respond to w/our own behavior -Watching films and television, where reality is distorted, can translate into what we think the real world is like. -Example: "Heavy viewers" of local news are more likely to believe that crime rates are much higher than they actually are -"mean world syndrome"--we live in a more cruel world than we really do, instills fear and anxiety of world around us, and that fear influences our behavior (locking doors, carrying guns, etc) -selective exposure: we are more likely to consume media that we think reinforces our own beliefs about the worla
Media and Behavior
Limited Effects Model of Communication Influence (Klapper, 1960): -Other factors also influence behavior in addition to media
Challenges of Making Conclusions about "Media Effects" -Correlation does not equal causation -Difficult to isolate media exposure and/or media content as single cause for any behavioral act Media effects often used as scapegoats for larger, more complex problems (poverty, racism, monetary policy, health care system, etc.) -...But media certainly DOES have some impact on our behaviors
Consuming the Media -NOT a passive process -Always an active, cognitive process -How and why do we actually put media to use in our daily lives?
Encoding/Decoding model (Stuart Hall) -Key: audiences are just as much a part of media making as the producers of it in decoding it: just as complex and open for variation as the encoding process
example: Duck Dynasty- Christian family that owns a duck call business, made a lot of money. All family works at business. (American southern masculinity)