Slightly reduced Theories of Media Effects

The "I" vs. the "Me" (James)

The "I" is the knowing ontological self, while the "me" is the empirical self that can be the object of perception.

The Empirical Self (James)

Composed of the Material self (body/possessions), Social self (perceptions by others), and Spiritual self (psychological feelings and attitudes).

Working Self-Concept (Marku)

The specific characteristics of the self active in an individual's mind at a given moment.

Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins)

Explains motivations based on gaps between the Actual self, Ideal self (who we want to be), and Ought self (who we think others expect us to be).

Possible Selves (Markus)

Future-oriented goals that media characters can help viewers "try on" or develop.

Objective Self-Awareness (Duval)

A state where the self is the center of attention; social media profiles can act as a source of self-affirmation rather than self-evaluation.

Identification (Cohen)

An imaginative process where a viewer takes on the perspective and goals of a character, allowing for vicarious experimentation.

TEBOTS (Temporarily Expanded Boundaries of the Self) (Slater)

Proposes that we seek stories to escape the limitations and stresses of our fixed identity, which can reduce social distance with outgroups [647-649].

Mediated Wisdom of Experience (MWOE) (Slater)

The idea that eudaimonic narratives allow viewers to vicariously encounter life's "verities" (loss, transience).

Intervening Processes (Potter)

Mental and physical activity occurring between media exposure and behavioral response.

Triangulation

Combining physiological measures, self-reports, and behavioral observations for a complete picture of effects.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Measures

Includes Heart Rate (cognitive-resource allocation) and Skin Conductance (sympathetic arousal/emotional intensity) [699-701, 703].

Central Nervous System (CNS) Measures

Includes EEG (real-time cortical activity/attention) and fMRI (mapping active brain regions via the BOLD effect) [706, 708-710, 712].

General Aggression Model (GAM) (Anderson)

Identifies how personal/situational factors influence cognition, affect, and arousal to drive behavior; repeated exposure builds hostile knowledge structures [754-756].

DSMM (Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model) (Valkenburg & Peter)

Nuanced model explaining why effects vary based on Developmental, Dispositional, and Social factors.

Desensitization Theory

Repeated exposure leads to emotional habituation, making viewers indifferent to real-world violence.

Excitation Transfer Theory (Zillmann)

Physiological arousal from media can be misattributed to later provocations.

3AM Model (Sexual Script Acquisition, Activation, Application Model) (Wright)

Media serves as a source for sexual scripts (guidelines for behavior).

Specific vs. Abstract Scripting

Learning specific behaviors vs. general principles from media portrayals.

Sexual Objectification

Viewing others (or self) primarily as sex objects; common in social media research.

Prosocial Effects

Exposure to sympathetic cinematic depictions or pornography can increase tolerance for gay men and lesbian women.

Non-recognition Stage (Clark)

When a minority group barely appears in the media environment.

Priming and Cognitive Accessibility

Short-term activation of stereotypical links used for quick, heuristic judgments.

Chronic Accessibility and Cultivation

Long-term shaping of social reality through repeated activation of stereotypes.

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel)

Strong group identity leads to ingroup favoritism and perceiving outgroups as threats.

Appreciation (Oliver)

Serious, pensive reactions to meaningful media.

Affective Components

Includes Mixed Affect (poignancy), Elevation (moral beauty), Awe (perceptual vastness), and Hope [933-937].

Meaning-Making

Cognitive contemplation of challenging or painful aspects of the human condition.

Advertising Effectiveness

Reaching specific goals like brand awareness or sales.

AIDA Model

Classic sequence of Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

Psychological Reactance (Brehm)

Resisting ads as a threat to one's freedom to consume content.

Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) (Friestad)

Consumers act as "sentries" using knowledge of tactics to resist persuasion.

Goal Impediment Theory

Resentment and avoidance caused when ads interrupt a user's task

Video Deficit Effect (Barr)

Infants (under two) learn less from screens than from live interaction.

AIME (Amount of Invested Mental Effort) (Salomon)

Purposeful mental energy expended based on perceived medium difficulty.

Capacity Model (Fisch)

Learning is best when educational content is tightly woven into the narrative.

Health Belief Model (HBM)

Behavior is predicted by perceived threat, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy.

Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) (Witte)

Fear appeal processing where individuals engage in Danger Control (adaptive) or Fear Control (maladaptive).

Self-Determination Theory (Ryan)

Enjoyment via satisfaction of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness.

Racing-Game Effect

High correspondence to real-world tasks increases risk-taking inclinations.

CASA (Computers Are Social Actors) (Reeves)

Applying human social rules to machines.

Types of Interactivity (Sundar)

Modality (swiping/zooming), Message (contingent threading), and Source (customization/creation).

TIME (Theory of Interactive Media Effects) (Sundar)

Differentiates the Action route (engagement) from the Cue route (heuristics).