POS3931-2

POS3931

Exam 2

Chapter 6

Media and Political Knowledge

I. Hypodermic Needle Theory

a. Messages reach everyone, and each person will perceive and respond to them in a uniform fashion

i. Assumes that everyone will respond in exactly the same way to media

b. Associated with propagandists

c. Problem: No systematic evidences support this view

i. Build on the “mass society theory”

1. as a society becomes more industrialized, people become more isolated; the more isolated people becomes, the less alternative viewpoints are heard; the less voices heard, the more likely individuals are to believe what the media said

II. Minimal Effects Theory

a. Media messages have little effect on people most of the time

i. Emerged from campaign study that asked people their vote choice in March and who they voted for in November. They found there was no widespread change no matter how much they were exposed to the media

b. Two Step Flow Theory of Communication

i. In deciding whom to vote for, people aren’t likely to change their mind based on what the media says, but by what people who they respect tell them.

ii. Media messages flow through opinion leaders who interpret and/or distort messages and feed it to the mass public

c. Theory interpreted too broadly

III. Selective Exposure Effect Theory

a. People expose themselves to messages that are consistent with their prior beliefs

i. They selectively seek out media networks that are in line with their prior beliefs

b. Selective Perception

i. Refers to a person’s tendency to perceive things that goes along with your previous beliefs

c. Selective Retention

i. You will only remember the things that fit with previously held beliefs

d. Evidence mixed with regard to this theory

i. Does this really happen?

ii. Requires a lot of the average citizen

IV. Contingent Effects Theory

a. Media only influence particular types of people with particular types of messages in particular political contexts

i. Exact opposite of hypodermic needle theory – recognizes that everyone is not the same

b. Accounts for individual & message characteristics, as well as informational context

c. Relies on experimental research

V. Differential Effects

a. Television

i. Transmits realism and emotional appeal (Hurricane Katrina example)

ii. Geared more toward “Average Joe”

1. Television Hypothesis: people are really stupid with no political knowledge or participating in politics because of television

iii. Can reach millions simultaneously with a consistent message

b. Print

i. Excels in conveying factual details

ii. Audience higher in formal education and SES

iii. Print superiority thesis

VI. Media Political Association: Children

a. Younger children pick up a great deal of info if they are able to understand

b. Many teens base their attitudes about political events on media information

c. Media now perceived to play a larger socialization role at this age than previously thought

VII. Media Political Association: Adults

a. Some rely upon media completely for opinion formation

i. Especially among those who are undecided, uninformed, or if the event is unfamiliar

b. Typically, media dictates the context of how we think about things, but not necessarily what we think about those things

VIII. What Influences Learning

a. Interest

b. Education

i. Higher levels of formal education are in a better position to learn

c. Environment in which you absorb information

d. Source Credibility

i. The more credible the source is the more apt you are to learn it

ii. Now, people say that it doesn’t matter

e. Message Credibility and Importance



	POS3931 POS3931 Exam 2 Chapter 6 Media and Political Knowledge I. Hypodermic Needle Theory a. Messages reach everyone, and each person will perceive and respond to them in a uniform fashion i. Assumes that everyone will respond in exactly the same way to media b. Associated with propagandists c. Problem: No systematic evidences support this view i. Build on the “mass society theory” 1. as a society becomes more industrialized, people become more isolated; the more isolated people becomes, the less alternative viewpoints are heard; the less voices heard, the more likely individuals are to believe what the media said II. Minimal Effects Theory a. Media messages have little effect on people most of the time i. Emerged from campaign study that asked people their vote choice in March and who they voted for in November. They found there was no widespread change no matter how much they were exposed to the media b. Two Step Flow Theory of Communication i. In deciding whom to vote for, people aren’t likely to change their mind based on what the media says, but by what people who they respect tell them. ii. Media messages flow through opinion leaders who interpret and/or distort messages and feed it to the mass public c. Theory interpreted too broadly III. Selective Exposure Effect Theory a. People expose themselves to messages that are consistent with their prior beliefs i. They selectively seek out media networks that are in line with their prior beliefs b. Selective Perception i. Refers to a person’s tendency to perceive things that goes along with your previous beliefs c. Selective Retention i. You will only remember the things that fit with previously held beliefs d. Evidence mixed with regard to this theory i. Does this really happen? ii. Requires a lot of the average citizen IV. Contingent Effects Theory a. Media only influence particular types of people with particular types of messages in particular political contexts i. Exact opposite of hypodermic needle theory – recognizes that everyone is not the same b. Accounts for individual & message characteristics, as well as informational context c. Relies on experimental research V. Differential Effects a. Television i. Transmits realism and emotional appeal (Hurricane Katrina example) ii. Geared more toward “Average Joe” 1. Television Hypothesis: people are really stupid with no political knowledge or participating in politics because of television iii. Can reach millions simultaneously with a consistent message b. Print i. Excels in conveying factual details ii. Audience higher in formal education and SES iii. Print superiority thesis VI. Media Political Association: Children a. Younger children pick up a great deal of info if they are able to understand b. Many teens base their attitudes about political events on media information c. Media now perceived to play a larger socialization role at this age than previously thought VII. Media Political Association: Adults a. Some rely upon media completely for opinion formation i. Especially among those who are undecided, uninformed, or if the event is unfamiliar b. Typically, media dictates the context of how we think about things, but not necessarily what we think about those things VIII. What Influences Learning a. Interest b. Education i. Higher levels of formal education are in a better position to learn c. Environment in which you absorb information d. Source Credibility i. The more credible the source is the more apt you are to learn it ii. Now, people say that it doesn’t matter e. Message Credibility and Importance