Examination
Written exam in the examination week.
• You’re allowed to answer in either English or Dutch
Literature
• Psychology of the Media by David Giles
• Lecture material
Lecture One - What is Media psychology? (Chapter 1 & 2)
Media psychology is a scientific way of exploring our interactions with and through media. It looks
at behavioral, developmental, social and biological interactions between individuals and groups
with media.
→ Also studies the way we feel after the use of media.
There is an overlap between communication science and media psychology.
With communication science, there is a social orientation: the effect that media has on the public
and society in general.
With media psychology, we study the effect that media has on our behavior, memory, and
emotions of individuals.
→ Media psychology is in the middle of media, brands and people.
Why media psychology?
We can use it to influence people, to understand how we connect with media and others through
media.
We can also explore how media affects our lives, society, behavior, relationships and how to use
that knowledge in communication.
There are still a lot of things that aren’t clear yet about media psychology. Tests are inconclusive
and there is still a lot of research to be done.
Areas of psychology
Psychology studies human behavior and emotions in specific social environment and with a
specific context.
• Visible human behavior
- Crying
- Laughing
- Walking
- Watching TV
- Buying shoes
• Invisible human behavior
- Thinking
- Memorizing
- Learning
- Hearing
- Feeling
- Seeing
- Tasting
, Media Psychology