Giles – Psychology of the Media
Medium = any channel or technology used by humans to communicate messages
It is difficult to define medium as communication systems differ greatly, some media
broadcast widely while others don't, and messages can be ambiguous
Messages are communicated through a medium
New media = computer-based, networked communication technologies
o Web 1.0 = mostly static websites with limited interaction
o Web 2.0 = user-generated and interactive platforms
o Shallow processing style = processing information quickly and superficially without
deep reflection
Media are everywhere which can result in information overload
Hot media = media that provide high levels of sensory information and require little audience
participation (e.g. film, radio, television)
Cold media = media that provide less sensory information and require more active audience
participation (e.g. telephone conversations)
Media blindness = failure to notice or recognize media influence in everyday life
Mass medium = a communication technology capable of reaching large audiences through organized
production and distribution
1. Purpose or need for communication
2. Technology for public communication
3. Social organization
4. Media governance = regulation of media by authorities or institutions
Public communication = communication intended for large audiences
McComb conducted an experiment which showed that participants exposed to idealized bodies
reported higher body dissatisfaction
Due to upward social comparison
Due to self-discrepancy theory as media images increases discrepancy between the actual
self and the ideal body
o This effect can be reduced by writing warning letters about beauty manipulation and
roleplaying advertising persuasion
Agenda-setting effect = the tendency of media coverage to influence which issues people perceive as
important
News selection bias = news follows certain selection rules (e.g. violent or dramatic events receive
disproportionate coverage)
Marshall McLuhan
The medium is the message: the characteristics of a medium shape the meaning and impact
of the content more than the content itself
o How something is communicated matters more than what is communicated
o Different media create difference audience experiences, even with identical content
Media as extensions of man: media are technologies that extend human physical or
psychological abilities
o Electric extends human activity into nighttime
o Car extends human mobility and life choices
o Wheel is a fundamental transportation extension
o Google may function as an external memory system
Evidence shows that people using Google often misattribute knowledge to
themselves, believing they knew the answer all along
This shows that access to information creates overconfidence in
personal knowledge
These examples demonstrate that media can change behavior patterns,
change social organization, and change cognition and perception
, Criticism: media is treated aas mere stimulus delivery devices
o Stimulus = a controlled piece of content presented to participants
o This approach ignores that different media create different experiences, that
violence in games does not equal violence in films, and that user interaction matters
It is argues that each new medium must be studied as a unique cultural
phenomenon
Medium = any channel or technology used by humans to communicate messages
It is difficult to define medium as communication systems differ greatly, some media
broadcast widely while others don't, and messages can be ambiguous
Messages are communicated through a medium
New media = computer-based, networked communication technologies
o Web 1.0 = mostly static websites with limited interaction
o Web 2.0 = user-generated and interactive platforms
o Shallow processing style = processing information quickly and superficially without
deep reflection
Media are everywhere which can result in information overload
Hot media = media that provide high levels of sensory information and require little audience
participation (e.g. film, radio, television)
Cold media = media that provide less sensory information and require more active audience
participation (e.g. telephone conversations)
Media blindness = failure to notice or recognize media influence in everyday life
Mass medium = a communication technology capable of reaching large audiences through organized
production and distribution
1. Purpose or need for communication
2. Technology for public communication
3. Social organization
4. Media governance = regulation of media by authorities or institutions
Public communication = communication intended for large audiences
McComb conducted an experiment which showed that participants exposed to idealized bodies
reported higher body dissatisfaction
Due to upward social comparison
Due to self-discrepancy theory as media images increases discrepancy between the actual
self and the ideal body
o This effect can be reduced by writing warning letters about beauty manipulation and
roleplaying advertising persuasion
Agenda-setting effect = the tendency of media coverage to influence which issues people perceive as
important
News selection bias = news follows certain selection rules (e.g. violent or dramatic events receive
disproportionate coverage)
Marshall McLuhan
The medium is the message: the characteristics of a medium shape the meaning and impact
of the content more than the content itself
o How something is communicated matters more than what is communicated
o Different media create difference audience experiences, even with identical content
Media as extensions of man: media are technologies that extend human physical or
psychological abilities
o Electric extends human activity into nighttime
o Car extends human mobility and life choices
o Wheel is a fundamental transportation extension
o Google may function as an external memory system
Evidence shows that people using Google often misattribute knowledge to
themselves, believing they knew the answer all along
This shows that access to information creates overconfidence in
personal knowledge
These examples demonstrate that media can change behavior patterns,
change social organization, and change cognition and perception
, Criticism: media is treated aas mere stimulus delivery devices
o Stimulus = a controlled piece of content presented to participants
o This approach ignores that different media create different experiences, that
violence in games does not equal violence in films, and that user interaction matters
It is argues that each new medium must be studied as a unique cultural
phenomenon
