Media Psychology Exam 2 Study Guide

What is the general idea behind learning styles? Is there evidence that their idea is right?

People have preferred styles of learning like visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. No, there is no evidence to support that teaching styles have variated affects.

What were the similarities and differences in memory for information when the information is presented in print vs digital?

Print is better, it proves better for the key points and other info where the main idea had no difference.

What was the difference in confidence in performance between print and digital intake?

Those were more confident of their abilities on digital yet they had worse results.

What were the similarities and differences for various aspects of a story when read digitally vs print? Why is this seemingly the case?

Reading for story has the same engagement and recall, for print locating events and reconstructing plot is better. Possibly because of the kinesthetic feedback of flipping the page.

What are the 6 advantages of good infographics?

Summarizing info, numerical data visualized, little text decoding required, lower load on working memory, easy to remember visual information, and aesthetic.

What is the role of interest in processing infographics?

Interest in topic makes you more likely to remember it.

What makes infographics more memorable?

Color, recognizability, high visual density, and natural looking visualizations.

Why are graphics so useful when it comes to probability information?

Most people, especially children have trouble understanding probability. A visualization of the probability makes it generally easier to understand.

What are graphical abstracts?

A summarized research paper into one piece

What advantages and what disadvantages were discussed for graphical abstracts?

They’re easy but very hard to transfer over.

What types of themes are there for memes?

Political, inspirational, entertainment

What is the suspension of disbelief in engagement with story media?

Narrative stories require a willful suspension of belief, an agreement to accept characters displayed as real humans. You can share their joys and sorrows. This is a cognitive behavior.

What are the four dimensions of transportation with respect to story media?

Transportation as a concept of “going to the fictional world”… Understanding the narrative is the plot, focusing your attention is full immersion, an emotional engagement is to connect with the characters. A narrative presence where you lose the world where you are.

What is the relationship between transportation and enjoyment?

Commonly, more transportation means more enjoyment of the narrative.

What is the difference in transportation requirements with different kinds of media? Print, audiovisual, and videogame media?

In print you imagine the pictures and construct the story, in audiovisual images are provided, and in videogames you act the story yourself.

What is the need for cognition? How is this relevant in transportation?

How much you enjoy thinking and using your mind. Those who have a higher need transportation rates are higher

How does transportation and identification in the context of fiction result in empathy?

More practice results in more empathy. Learning how humans’ motivations and personalities drive their actions.

What is the infinite scroll? Why is it utilized?

Infinitely scrolling with no point in stopping, it’s commonly used as its hard to pull attention away.

Describe the organ donation situation discussed in class.

In checking a box to opt in or out, people would rather check a box to opt in than opt out, resulting in higher levels of donors when you have to opt out. This shows inertia.

What are lead measures and lag measures? How does this tie into goal setting and achievement?

Lead measures are steps to reach the goal, lag measures tell if the goal was achieved after the process

What is the Zeigarnik effect?

You remember unfinished or interrupted tasks better than finished ones.

What is emotional contagion?

Agree to the inclination and get “infected”. Spreading things.

How do algorithms use negativity bias?

They show you more negativity to keep you engaged.

Variable ratio

Based on average amount of times doing something

Fixed ratio

After a certain amount of responses done

Variable interval

After an average amount of time

Fixed interval

After a fixed amount of time

What were the two bottom line conclusions from the fMRI study looking at reward values of juice and water administered predictably and unpredictably?

Unpredictability reward had a higher level of stimulation.

What reasons are unboxing videos rewarding? What are the groups that people are concerned about in respect to unboxing videos

There is a hard time disengaging because of infinite scroll, it uses cliffhangers to gauge curiosity, and the rewards are unpredictable. It also ASMR. The concern is among 2 to 3 year olds.

What are some examples of little rewards?

Points, coins, visual effects, new options

How is the speed of progress manipulated in games to make them engaging?

The first few levels are easier to obtain then the later levels, getting you into the game faster.

What is the zone of proximal development

Being just on the edge of a win or obtaining something.

What two central needs (as per the self determination theory) are frequently met by video games? Is the third need met?

Competence (mastering new material) and autonomy (deciding what you’re gonna do). Relatedness is not common.

What are the three ways researchers commonly study the self?

Self concept, esteem, and identity

What is self concept?

Physical descriptors, skill descriptors, and personality descriptors

What is self esteem and how is it divided?

An overall self evaluation. There is academic, social, and physical competence followed by physical appearance

What is self identity? How is it different from concept?

It’s the question of who am I in different domains like views and morals, as well as who you are to other people.

If there is a discrepancy between the actual and ideal self, what are the consequences?

There can be change, improvement, achievement, or depression

Central Route Of Persuasion

Appealing to logic and data

Peripheral Route of Persuasion

Appealing to emotion

What is a buyers persona? How did companies construct one back in the day?

They build a template human based on what you like, search for, watch, click, and follow. A table is built with this information. In the older days census information and data was collected. Nowadays this is done with information sold from apps.

What is source credibility? What example was used in class that doesn’t have good source credibility?

How trustworthy a source is behind a message. Paula Deen has bad credibility.

Match Up Hypothesis in terms of celebrity endorsements

You need the product to match the person advertising it.

What is the difference between celebrities and influencers?

Influencers do not have an alternate source of fame.

What is the notion of a personal brand for social influencers

They are promoting their own strengths and weaknesses.

What is the attention economy?

An economy that treats attention as scarce and limited.

For what purpose are social media influencer markets divided into segments based on number of followers?

Income generated based on number of followers? (?)

Who was Belle Gibson, what happened involving her?

She cashed in on non existent cancer diagnoses and convinced people to not have cancer treatment.

What are the 4 reasons provided in class that social media influencers are successful?

Common interest groups endorse products consistent with self brand, parasocial relationships, and people look for models to compare themselves to.

Upward comparisons

People doing better than we are (negative influence)

Downward comparisons

People are doing worse than we are (Improves mood)

What are some expressions of fandom?

Religiously watching a show, writing them letters, attending their events or fan clubs.

How are poor crowd management policies to blame for some of the bad reputations that fans have?

Some people go overboard or insane about certain things, this paints a bad picture for fans.

How common is borderline pathological celebrity worship?

3 - 5%

Erotomania

The pathological belief in audience members that a celebrity or higher status individual is in love with them

What is the difference between numbers of women and men in prime time TV shows? Children programming?

2x more men in prime time TV, 3 - 4x more men in children’s programming

What is the difference in appearance of men and women in commercials? Voice overs?

50% of commercial characters were women by 2016

65% of voice overs done by men

What are the age trends for the appearance of women in media?

Women over 30 and 50 are heavy underrepresented

What is the “ideal female body” in media? How common is this body type?

Tall, thin, small hipped, large breasts. Less than 5%.

What other differences are there between men and women in ads?

Women are typically flawless and passive, but represented as just body parts. Men have active poses and are rumpled.

What are some of the effects on media consumers measured in studies looking at physical appearance of females in media?

More eating disorders in preadolescent to college girls. Highschoolers who looked at edited photos showed high body consciousness and low self esteem. Greater interest in plastic surgery.

What are the three characteristics of women displayed in media?

Homemakers and mothers - Women submitting to their husbands rather than reverse

In children’s shows women are shown as frilly and wimpy

Women often displayed as mean, aggressive, backstabbing, and double crossing other women.

Men are often displayed as emotionless in media, how is this shown in ads?

In ads, men look blankly at no one

What is Hays Code?

Rules for vulgarity, costume, locations, sex, innuendos, influenced from the 30s to 60s.

What was the approx. timeline progression of representation of gay and lesbian sexual minorities in media in the US

First gay and lesbian heroes in 60s and 70s

1980s was AIDS epidemic

90s regular representation

How long is the history of transgender characters appearing in media?

Shorter history, came first in 1999 and 2005, 2011 on TV specifically.

How does the rate of people with mental illnesses injuring others in media compare to reality?

72% of adults portrayed as mentally ill injuring others, only 11% in reality

How does the religiosity of the US population get reflected in media?

Close to invisible in media?

Why is religion believed to be underrepresented?

Writers and producers not religious… touchy subject

Where is religion often represented in US media?

Animations! Adult comedy animation shows.

What are common religious stereotypes in media?

Sainty but shallow, hypocrites, cult preachers

What are some effects of reality court shows discussed in class?

More small claims, higher level of drama, emotion, and contentiousness among litigants

What were purported effects of the popular shows Law and Order and CSI discussed in class?

Law and Order - Skewed public opinions of lawyers, especially defense attorneys

CSI - Jurors want DNA evidence, often unavailable.

What is the general point being made about people’s attitudes to groups of people and media?

We often have our opinions altered based on media representation

What groups are often shown as evil in media?

Lawyers, government, corporations, and foreigners.

What is the difference in aging between men and women shown in media?

Aging and gray hair is more acceptable in men

What are the trends with respect to hairloss and baldness for men in the media?

Losing hair is common in the 20s and 30s, but not for sympathetic (?) leading men.

Not common except for fully bald.

What is the bumbling dad presentation?

Stereotype of men being competent professionally, but ignorant and clumsy with housework and childcare.

What is the trend in gender of kids in sitcoms?

55% male 45% female

What is the general depiction of marital status in prime time TV?

Characters rarely divorced until late 70s, common since. More single fathers then mothers

What is the difference in quantity and content of working class and upper/middle class families?

Working class a lot more uncommon than upper middle class families, more distressed relationships among them.

How is sibling conflict portrayed in sitcoms?

Often resolved by the end of a half hour episode

How are two career families generally portrayed in TV series?

The difficulties of managing 2 career families are glossed over

How do researchers relate the family solidarity value to non family groups?

Surrogate families are still recognized like family (like friends) and found family

How would one interpret family solidarity on TV shows in the context of cultivation theory?

Cultivation theory says that family like setting is normal

What are the four stages of portray of minority groups as recognized by Clark?

Stage 1: Non recognition (Not present)

Stage 2: Ridicule (Stereotype and insult)

Stage 3: Regulation (Members of minority as protectors of existing order)

Stage 4: Respect (normal appearances)

What were the stages of portrayal of African American people on TV before the 60s?

Before the 60s, stage 1 and 2. NAACP spoke against this in 1942 and appearances started to grow

What were the examples provided in class of shows in the late 60s/70s with African American characters

1977 roots

What was significantly about Roots in 1977?

Featured a black cast and a primetime TV adaptation of African slavery, was a massive success.

What is the general trend of portrayal of African American people as a proportion of the population?

80s: Cosby, Different World, average family experiencing average things

00s: Relative Absence

10s: Black-ish, Scandal, Empire

What were the two animation items relating to the portrayal of African Americans mentioned in class, and for what reason were they mentioned?

Song of the South: History poor, racist (BAD)

Doc McStuffins: Hopefully inspires little Black girls (cute portrayal) (goated)

What is the trend for mentions of African American people in the news prior to 2020

Emphasis in news reports of African Americans in criminal context

20s: Less emphasis on African Americans as criminal or victims, but now invisible

What effects were mentioned of positive portrayals of African Americans?

Whoopi Goldberg watched the original Star Trek and when presented with Nichelle Nichols, told her mom “there’s a black lady on TV and she’s not a maid”.

Different world inspired people to go to college

Identification Theory

Everyone identifies more with characters who are perceived to be like themselves

Distinctiveness Theory

Being part of a minority group makes certain attributes/appearances of people in media more noticeable.

What was the approx. ratio between population portion and representation in narrative media for African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and White Americans?

White: Over representation

African: Decent amount of underrepresentation

Asian: Large underrepresentation

Hispanic: Large underrepresentation

What stage of Clark’s model is the portrayal of Latino and Hispanic Americans in?

Stage 2

What were the effects of this portrayal on Hispanic and Latino adolescents?

Heavy TV viewing Latino adolescents shown to have lower self esteem

What was the proportion of Asian Americans in TV/Film in the 2016 study, and what was their proportion in the general US population in 2010?

About 64% of shows had no Asian Americans at all. Only 11 out of 242 shows concentrated on Asian Americans

What recent decades have there been very few Asian Americans on TV shows?

90s and 2000s