MMC 3420 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% CORRECT
mass communication? - ANSWER-Any communication channel used to simultaneously
reach a large number of people
research - ANSWER-An attempt to discover something
methodology - ANSWER-description of process taken in conducting research
theory - ANSWER-a system of ideas or set of principles intended to explain some
casual phenomena or relationship among concepts
what are the research phases when new media is introduced - ANSWER-1. studying
the medium itself
2. studying the uses and users of the medium
3. studying the social, psychological, and physical effects of the medium
4. studying how the medium can be improved
What is mass media research used for? - ANSWER--Campaign Effectiveness
-App development
-TV & Radio Rating & Shares
-Social Media Analytics
-Brand Management
-Advertising across mediums
-Pilot testing content
-Audience characteristics and decisions
What four major events encouraged the growth of mass media research? - ANSWER--
Propaganda Research after World Wars I & II (Hypodermic needle model)
-Advertising in 50's & 60's
-Effects on Children (Violence, Sex . . . Pro-social)
-Increased competition for $$ (Audience fragmentation; Changing values/lifestyles,
demographics, image studies, audience segmentation)
What are the methods of knowing? - ANSWER--Tenacity (always been true)
-Intuition (self evident)
-Authority (a trusted source says its true)
-Self-Discovery
6 characteristics of scientific method - ANSWER--Scientific research is public
-objective
-empirical
, -systematic and cumulative
- predictive
-self-correcting
empirical research - ANSWER-researchers are concerned w a world that is knowable
and measurable
What is external validity? - ANSWER--How well the results of one study can be
generalized to larger settings or populations
-If a study lacks external validity, it can't be extrapolated to all TV viewers, all twitter
users, all college students, etc. It describes nothing but the exact sample of people it
studied
What can we do to ensure better external validity? - ANSWER--Use a random sample,
which means everyone in the population of interest has an equal chance of being
selected for participation in the research study.
-Replicate the study. With different participants, with a different sample, etc., over time
-Select samples representative of your population. Facebook users aren't necessarily
Facebook game players; high school students aren't college students
What are concepts? - ANSWER-Theoretical variables. Nouns. Formed by generalizing
from particulars. They vary in abstractness & are independent of time and space
operational definitions - ANSWER-specifies procedures that allow one to experience or
measure a concept
conceptual definitions - ANSWER-defines a word by substituting other words or
concepts for it
Academic research - ANSWER--Basic
-Generally theoretical or scholarly. Concerned with humans interacting with media
-Publicly available; Not as deadline-driven; can be cheaper
Private research - ANSWER--Applied
-Concerned with specific media industry and audiences. Goal is satisfy a client who
wants to make money
-Often proprietary; completed quicker, more expensive
What is true of both academic and private research? - ANSWER-Both academics and
private sector researchers can do both types; Both can utilize quantitative and
qualitative methods. Both want to predict the future.
first step in research process? - ANSWER-choose problem/question, then look it up,
develop hypothesis/question
ANSWERS 100% CORRECT
mass communication? - ANSWER-Any communication channel used to simultaneously
reach a large number of people
research - ANSWER-An attempt to discover something
methodology - ANSWER-description of process taken in conducting research
theory - ANSWER-a system of ideas or set of principles intended to explain some
casual phenomena or relationship among concepts
what are the research phases when new media is introduced - ANSWER-1. studying
the medium itself
2. studying the uses and users of the medium
3. studying the social, psychological, and physical effects of the medium
4. studying how the medium can be improved
What is mass media research used for? - ANSWER--Campaign Effectiveness
-App development
-TV & Radio Rating & Shares
-Social Media Analytics
-Brand Management
-Advertising across mediums
-Pilot testing content
-Audience characteristics and decisions
What four major events encouraged the growth of mass media research? - ANSWER--
Propaganda Research after World Wars I & II (Hypodermic needle model)
-Advertising in 50's & 60's
-Effects on Children (Violence, Sex . . . Pro-social)
-Increased competition for $$ (Audience fragmentation; Changing values/lifestyles,
demographics, image studies, audience segmentation)
What are the methods of knowing? - ANSWER--Tenacity (always been true)
-Intuition (self evident)
-Authority (a trusted source says its true)
-Self-Discovery
6 characteristics of scientific method - ANSWER--Scientific research is public
-objective
-empirical
, -systematic and cumulative
- predictive
-self-correcting
empirical research - ANSWER-researchers are concerned w a world that is knowable
and measurable
What is external validity? - ANSWER--How well the results of one study can be
generalized to larger settings or populations
-If a study lacks external validity, it can't be extrapolated to all TV viewers, all twitter
users, all college students, etc. It describes nothing but the exact sample of people it
studied
What can we do to ensure better external validity? - ANSWER--Use a random sample,
which means everyone in the population of interest has an equal chance of being
selected for participation in the research study.
-Replicate the study. With different participants, with a different sample, etc., over time
-Select samples representative of your population. Facebook users aren't necessarily
Facebook game players; high school students aren't college students
What are concepts? - ANSWER-Theoretical variables. Nouns. Formed by generalizing
from particulars. They vary in abstractness & are independent of time and space
operational definitions - ANSWER-specifies procedures that allow one to experience or
measure a concept
conceptual definitions - ANSWER-defines a word by substituting other words or
concepts for it
Academic research - ANSWER--Basic
-Generally theoretical or scholarly. Concerned with humans interacting with media
-Publicly available; Not as deadline-driven; can be cheaper
Private research - ANSWER--Applied
-Concerned with specific media industry and audiences. Goal is satisfy a client who
wants to make money
-Often proprietary; completed quicker, more expensive
What is true of both academic and private research? - ANSWER-Both academics and
private sector researchers can do both types; Both can utilize quantitative and
qualitative methods. Both want to predict the future.
first step in research process? - ANSWER-choose problem/question, then look it up,
develop hypothesis/question
