Carter Spearry Survey of Mass Communication Module 2
Section A: Reading Questions for "Media & Behavior"
GLOSSARY: For each term/concept below, provide a brief definition:
1.
Klapper's Limited Effects model of media influence (p 293) 1. When (and if) media affect behavior, they do so through a web of other influencing factors, such as personality characteristics, social situations, and general climates of opinion and culture 2. Cognitive, Affective, and Conative components of persuasion (p. 296 1. There are three persuasive attitudes: the cognitive component deals with the intellectual or knowledge-based approaches, the affective component deals with the emotional or evaluative approaches, and the conative component deals with the intentional or behavioral approaches to persuasion. 3. Magic Bullet/Hypodermic Needle/Direct Effects theory of media influence (p. 302) 1. Stimulus Message -> Individual Receiver > Reaction. This argues that media messages directly influence audiences' behavior. 4. Social Learning Theory (p. 304-307) 1. In the presence of a modeled behavior (or stimulus), an observer if motivated will make copied or patterned acts (imitation) of the model's behavior (a response), and such responses are more likely to be learned when they are reinforced. 5. Theory of Media Contagion (p. 308) 1. This means that the media portraying something only leads to more of the bad thing that is being portrayed actually happening in real life 6. Selective Perception (p. 310-311) 1. The ability of individuals to mold their own view of reality from media content. An example of this is after we see the forecast in the morning, we may dress accordingly. 7. Central route of information processing (in Petty fl Cacciopo's Information processing approach to persuasion, p. 314) 1. The degree to which an audience member perceives that a message is personally important and relevant determines how the person processes the persuasive message. Peripheral route of information processing (in Petty fl Cacciopo's information processing approach to persuasion, p. 314) 1. Contrary to the central route, this is for the messages that are not personally involving. Audience members will use simpler, less taxing strategies to make sense of and respond to the
message, maybe just focusing on the source of the message, for example. Mean World Syndrome (p. 320) 1. Heavy viewers of television violence become fearful of the world afraid of becoming victims of violence, and over time, they engage in more self-protective behaviors and show more mistrust of others.
9.
ANALYSIS: For each question below, respond in 2-4 sentence answers
1. Consider the three components of attitudes in persuasion (cognitive, affective, and conative) discussed on p. 296. Can you think of any media text (news article, documentary, advertisement, political campaign ad
persuaded you to take a certain action or behave in certain way you may not have before? If so, give an example. If not, consider which of the three components it failed to connect with you on and why.
Most of the health advisory warnings surrounding COVID-19 have achieved the cognitive and conative components in persuasion, but not necessarily the affective component.