1. Introduction of Essentials of Media Psychology
Communication can be found in different layers:
Macro: This is communication on the highest level. It’s is about a big audience who get
represented by a person who speak for them (example: Policies & Government)
Meso: This is communication on middle level. This kind of communication is not about a
really big audience that get represented, but it is also not about personal communication.
Meso level is about physical, social-cultural and community environment.
Micro: This level is about personal communication, so as small as it can be. Micro
communication is all about individual factors like motivation, interest, gender, personality etc.
The type of media a people choose and how they communicate get influenced by all the
three layers.
Media Psychology is a science that has interfaces with other studies:
o Communication science Media and communication have become
omnipresent. You can’t think about communication without media like
newspapers, Internet, Snapchat, Instagram. So an interface between media
psychology and communication science is a study about: Have smartphones
destroyed our generation?
• Multiple components of Psychology:
o Social Psychology In this study it is all about how people behave in their
social surroundings and what influences this behaviour. So an interface
between media psychology and social psychology is a study about: Why do
people post pictures of themselves on Social Media?
o Consumer Psychology Doing business requires that companies take
advantage of any and every opportunity to communicate with customers. All
kind of media allows a company to reach a greater audience than before. Social
media in comparison to traditional media also allows communication to go
both ways, creating interactivity between businesses and customers that has
had a few direct effects on consumer behavior. The connectivity between
media psychology and consumer psychology is all about questions like: How
people feel after media consumption or how consumers get influenced by
media use.
o Differential psychology The focus of this study is about the differences of
group and individual behaviour, but also the differences between individuals.
Things that play a part in this kind of study are motivation, gender, personality
etc. An interface between media psychology and social psychology is a study
about: Why do girls use more Snapchat then boys?
o Developmental Psychology This kind of study is about how and why
human beings change things during their life. A related questions for both
studies is: What is the reason why Twitter lose so many users?
,Definition:
• Media psychology is the scientific study of human behavior, thoughts and feelings
experienced in the context of media use and creation (Dill, 2013. P. 5)
• Media psychology is the scientific study of the cognitive processes and behavior
involved in the selection, use, interpretation and effects of communication across a
variety of media (Okdie et al., 2014 p. 180).
There is no consensus on the definition because:
• Both media and psychology are themselves broad
• Communication, cognition and emotions are pretty fundamental to human experience
and therefore have, by definition, foundations, in psychological thought
• A field that changes very fast time (iTunes releases a new mobile app)
• The field must be representative of not only the work currently being done, but also
the work that needs to be done.
Constant theme
The constant theme across these definitions is that media psychology is fundamentally
concerned with understanding behaviour, cognitions and affect as related to media use,
processing, and effects.
The roll of media in society
“We live in an electric information environment that is quite as imperceptible to us as water
is to fish” (McLuhan, 1969)
We are no longer aware of our media use and it is a part of our life, we can no longer life
without it.
Media is often wrongly blamed for problems in society
Children are getting fatter and fatter because they spend too much hours behind a screen
The next generation will get less real-life communication skills because they only talk through
a device. Many of these accusations are unjustified because there are more things in life that
play a role in the problem, for example food quality, welfare, technology development etc.
,People very often look only at the last part of the structure, while the phases before might
gave an influence on the outcome. Beside, everybody is different with different behaviour,
motivation and reasons.
For example: The more books you read the more you know. This is not the case with media
there are many other factors that may have an influence as well in each part (before, during
and after use).
,a moderation is a relation between two variables but not directly, so there is a third variable
with influence on the effect from X on Y.
You play war games very often (X) that makes you think about killing others with guns (Y),
but in reality there is no causal relation between those two. There is a third variable named
“state of mind”(M), if you are angry you get the thoughts related to the game and there are
many other factors with influence on this relation (M).
Posting a picture of yourself on social media (X) leads to a higher body image (Y), but in
reality that is not the real effect. Posting (X) leads to more likes and positive reactions of
others on your picture(M) what leads to a better body image (Y). The influence of posting a
picture on a better body image is transmitted via mediation of peer feedback.
,Okdie et al., (2014). MISSED PROGRAMS (YOU CAN'T TIVO THIS ONE): Why
psychologists should study media. Perspectives in Psychological Science. 9, 180-195. doi:
10.1177/1745691614521243
There is an shortage of media psychology research in the psychological literature this cause
less knowing about the effects and reasons for media choices. A psychological approach on
media studies is important because media is omnipresent in our lives and it is important to
know the psychological effects of this use.
Media psychology: the scientific study of the behavior and cognitive processes involved in
the selection, uses, interpretation, and effects of mediated communication.
Mediated communication: any communication outside of face-to-face interaction that
requires mediated transmission (e.g. passing through a media channel). Examples: books,
email, text messaging, letters, social media, television.
We use media nowadays almost constantly, this is no surprise if you notice the expand of
available media and the shift of channels, for example: News can be absorbed from
newspapers (traditionally) but also from the internet, mobile apps, digital newspapers, radio
and television.
Okdie et al. did a content analysis of major general psychological journals and a second
analysis for graduate and undergraduate courses at the top 50 psychology programs in the
United States.
They found five attributes in which media differ:
1 Fidelity: the degree that a medium is detailed, complete, and accurate in its
reproduction of the information that is transmitted.
o For instance: CD’s have a higher fidelity on sound than Spotify
▪ Fidelity influences feelings of social presence within a media
environment and transportation into a media world and the
persuasiveness of a medium by increasing involvement, richness, and
the sense of actual engagement with the behaviors portrayed in the
message.
• Social presence: the sensation of being drawn into the
narrative.
• Transportation: the experience of being a part of the media
story.
2 Privacy: the capability of persons to hide personal-info regarding of their identity and
characters from others.
o For instance: Instagram self-presentation in the way you like to be
▪ Privacy influences the individuation and self-presentation.
• The individuation: a psychological state characterized by low
self-awareness leading to increased focus on group rather than
personal norms and standards of behavior.
• Self-presentation: the way we create images of ourselves to
impress others.
, 3 Channels: the different option that can be used to obtain or send a message via the
media
o For instance: You can watch a movie in the cinema or via DVD, but you can
also watch Netflix, check the internet, watch in on television etc.
▪ Channels influence the social influence, motivation, self-awareness,
and persuasion.
• Social influence: how individuals gets and are influenced by
messages and other kind of media.
• Self-awareness: a psychological state of increased focus on the
self.
4 Interactivity: the degree to which media gives individuals the ability to control or
produce responses from content provided through media, others using media, and the
individual medium itself. Interactivity is based of several components such as
directionality and control. Media may vary in interactivity to the extent that they allow
for the dynamic exchange of data and afford users control over content.
o For instance: People can like, share, comment and post on Facebook
▪ Interactivity influences greater learning, attitude change, and positivity.
• No explanation required
5 Content-by-attribute interactions: any data transmitted via media, with regard to the
attributes of the media that deliver that content.
By considering more dynamic models and by separating media along the proposed attribute
dimensions. Psychology can be presented with new research opportunities that can help in the
development of more complete understandings of human behavior. Applying the framework
of this study will create new ways for exploring how different media may create
psychological states that lead to different predictable patterns of behavior.
