Essentials of Media Psychology
Lecture 1 Introduction
What is Media Psychology? → a combination of many different perspectives
(communication science, social psychology, neuropsychology, etc.).
What can it tell us? → media psychology can reflect on problematic or new
phenomena in society. Such as virtual reality, can we use it for a good purpose?
Other big topics are fake news, robotics, etc.
Why should psychologists study media? (Okdie et al., 2014)
• Lots of media use, but hardly reflected in psychological research or study.
• Examine the unique attributes of media and how those attributes influence
human cognition, affect and behavior (e.g., comparing media that vary in
degree of realism to explore the effects of violence on behavior).
• Little emphasis is placed on the psychological processes occurring while
using media or the impact of unique characteristics of media. Not only
interested in the end result, but in the process of it (such as interactions,
repeated exposure, etc.)
Attributes of Media, five key attributes that set media apart (Okdie et al., 2014):
• Fidelity, e.g., e-mail, text (low fidelity) vs VR (high fidelity). How much it is
reality.
• Privacy, e.g., anonymity and deindividuation, selective self-presentation
• Channel, e.g., audio, visual, multimodal
• Interactivity, e.g., TV vs Facebook: directionality & control
• Content, e.g., content x attribute interactions
In Media Psychological Research there are:
• No uniform media messages, no hypodermic needle, no uniform effects
(Not: if you play a lot of games you are addicted, there are more features).
Understanding individual differences, conditions, and processes that lead
to different effects. No easy answers.
• Both sides. For example, focus on media attributes and individual processing.
And in negative effects as well as the benefits. And in entertainment and
information.
• Not only describe media use, but rather explain how, why, by whom, when,
what effects
Definitions of Media Psychology:
“Media psychology is the scientific study of human behavior, thoughts, and feelings
experienced in the context of media use and creation” (Dill, 2013).
“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).
No consensus on definition, media, and psychology themselves are broad. It’s a field
that changes every time a new mobile app/technology is released.
,But the constant theme across these definitions is that media psychology is
fundamentally concerned with understanding behavior, cognitions, and affects
as related to media use, processing, and effects.
Media x User = Situation x Person
Analytical structure:
• Before use
o Motivation
o Selection
o Needs
• During use
o Processing
o Underlying mechanisms
• After use
o Effects
o Consequences
Often complex moderation and mediation models:
Moderation models = the effect between X and Y is qualified by the moderator M. A
moderator variable affects the direction or strength of the relationship between two
other variables. The effect is there, but a moderator strengthens or weakens the
effect.
Mediation models = the influence of X on Y is transmitted via mediator M. A mediator
variable explains the relationship between two other variables. Mediator is a condition
for the effect to occur, happens only if this is considered.’ Mediates the effect (via).
Lecture 2 Processing and Learning from Media
Two classic theories of communication studies:
1. Processing of mediated information: LC4MP (Limited Capacity Model) by
Annie Lang
2. Learning from mediation information: social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura
LC4MP = Limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing.
Widely applied in media psychology. Based on an information processing model.
,3 stages of info processing:
• Encoding: selecting
information from environment.
• (Temporary) Storage:
creating long term
representation of information.
• Retrieval (Permanent
storage): memory, both in
response to questions and
dynamically.
Humans have limited cognitive capacity (= total amount of information the brain can
take at a given moment). Humans have a total cognitive capacity, depends on
resources allocated and resources required.
Humans have limited capacity for info processing and media is complex.
Audio-visual (new) media is very complex form of communication, requires a lot of
cognitive resources/processing/integration (e.g., time, space, audio, visual, attention,
genre, interactivity).
Humans are cognitive misers: cognitive miser theory (Susan Fiske):
• Humans are not systematic in their info processing.
• Humans try to save their cognitive energy (cognitive misers), the only
allocate resources if they “need to.”
• Motivated cognition governed by motivational forces.
In sum:
People have limited cognitive capacity → they want to save cognitive energy → they
only pay attention when they want/forced/tricked in to → LC4MP theorized about the
factors that motivate whether people pay attention or not.
Pathways of cognitive resource allocation:
1) Controlled (voluntary), goal-oriented usage of media.
2) Automatic (involuntary), stimulus properties direct the allocation (e.g., new,
and important stimuli), orienting response. What draws our attention?
a. Features that are “new” and unexpected in the present environment
(FORM feature)
i. Stimulus properties: e.g., vocal changes, camera changes,
sudden movement, image size, animations, colors, shot size.
ii. May lead to cognitive overload.
b. Objects (and features) that are motivationally relevant and
important to us (CONTENT feature)
i. Socially relevant information: e.g., faces, weapons, etc.
ii. Current (conscious or unconscious) goals
Motivational importance of stimuli: two motivational forces for survival (Bradley;
Cacioppo; Lang).
• Appetitive (approach) → promote survival.
• Aversive (avoidance) → prevent harm.
, LC4MP dual system theory: level of resources allocated to processing and the
intensity of activation in the motivational system.
Positivity offset: low intensity of
activation → positive messages attract
more attention.
Red line = the more positive
(activation), the more attention
(resources).
Black line = first a lot of attention, but to
a certain point. After that it is important
to react and protect yourself. We react faster on threat, but when this is over, our
attention decreases. We pay less attention to a threat then to a desire.
Implications of the LC4MP:
• We cannot turn off our attention.
• Our processing and learning from media is dependent on form, content, and
individual resources.
• Individuals focus on what is relevant to them.
• Relevant is independent of conscious awareness – dependent on motivational
processing.
Marketers, visual designers, film makers make a huge effort to capture viewers’
attention.
The more you know about the type of design and content that captures people’s
attention, the more effectively you can construct your message.
The same content conveyed through the different formal features may elicit
different level of activation.
In sum:
• We process info in three stages: encoding, storage, retrieval.
• We have limited cognitive capacity for these stages; therefore, we try to
save cognitive energy.
• Our attention is captured if:
o We attend to a message voluntarily.
o The stimulus is designed in a specific way (form).
o Presents motivationally important content.
▪ Motivationally appealing or motivationally aversive.
Dynamic nature of information processing means no post-hoc measures, but real-
time measurements, e.g., psychophysiological measures: skin conductance, eye-
gaze, facial EMG, heartrate etc.
Learning from mediated information: Social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura.
• Learning from media: huge topic area.
• Learning and processing = a relatively permanent change in the system
due to information processing (e.g., experience, practice, etc.
• The product of learning is:
