MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
WEEK 1
LECTURE
AFFECTIVE DISPOSITION THEORY (ADT)
- Characters are key: involvement necessary for engagement
- Disposition = inherent qualities found in person
Relation/opinion formed based on actions and motives
Personal and subjective: depends on moral and experiences
- Affective (empathy) and cognitive (moral judgement)
Judgement determines if we like or dislike a character
- Enjoyment: liked characters getting rewarded and/or disliked characters get punished
- Humour: harm to immoral and disliked character is funny
- Dispositions are needed for suspense
SUSPENSE
- Suspense = anticipation of outcome – conflict resolution focused
- Created by suggestion of negative outcomes
Or anticipation of good fortunes – but unlikely to happen
- Character you care about (disposition) in jeopardy (outcome uncertainty)
- Dispositions mediate moral judgement of character
Moral justification: convincing standards not apply in context
Dehumanization: victim viewed as sub-hum/object = moral disengagement cues
- Ambiguous characters = no clear disposition, more realistic
Reduced likability balanced out by perceived realism
HOW TO CREATE SUSPENSE
1. Liked character: gifted, skilled, surprising, underdogs, vulnerable
2. Strong opponent: reveal why and how mush is feared, ‘human’
3. Problem: put character or their relationships in danger
4. Keep stakes high: raise throughout story, make it personal
5. Add time constraints: work against clock
6. Apply pressure: make problem difficult to solve
7. Plot: give information, everything needs to be clear to viewer
8. Create conflicts: impossible challenges, inner conflicts
9. More promise, less action: promise that something will go wrong
10. Be unpredictable: break viewers expectations
WHY DO WE ENJOY SUSPENSE
- Escapism = desire to withdraw or escape
Suspense helps to seduce and distract viewer from own life
- Catharsis = purification, relief
Suspense helps to diminish negative emotions of real life
- Excitation transfer theory = arousal (excitement) resulting in euphoria (extreme happiness)
Suspense rises : happiness rises : enjoyment rises retains with viewer
, TUTORIAL
- Disposition = how you feel about a character
- Disparagement: the further away you stand from the victim, the funnier the joke
- Empathy = feeling for someone else
Needed to enjoy – need to feel with characters
Different levels/ability: I don’t give a fuck/ I care too much
- Humour: just a joke vs. drama: moral is important
- Suspense: affective dispositions and outcome uncertainty
Two people you empathize with, see a weapon, villain gets shot down
WEEK 2
LECTURE
MEDIA PSYCHOLLGY
- Media psychology = studies physical or mental human behaviour in environment/context
- Research areas since world war 2
Film/tv in education, advertising, violence, news, entertainment, digital media, social media
- Psychology = effects of media product/usage on individuals
Theories about perception, memory, emotion, etc.
- Sociology = effect of media on society experiments
- Process-focused approach: goal is understanding
- Why do people cry? Tension relieve and balance mental stress
Predict when Máxima was about to cry – people empathize
- Why talent shows? Can relate: ordinary people, escapism
MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES
1. Hypodermic needle theory / magic bullet theory
Stimulus (message medium) response (reiver effect)
One step flow theory: no filtering
- Intended message is directly received and fully accepted
Rise of radio/tv: persuasion industries ads and propaganda
Gaps: people not isolated, social factors and mediation of selective information
2. Two step flow theory
Message medium opinion leader audience
Personal influence stronger than media: Trump, parents, celebs
3. Agenda setting theory
Media (re)shapes reality – connected to Framing Theory
- Amount of media coverage influences ‘importancy’
4. Reinforcement theory / limited effects theory
People seek out and absorb information that supports their beliefs/opinions
5. Used and gratifications theory
How people use media to satisfy needs – what people do
- Cognitive needs (informational), affective need (emotion), personal/social needs (models),
tension release needs (escapism)
Attention to individual user: user-based theory
WEEK 1
LECTURE
AFFECTIVE DISPOSITION THEORY (ADT)
- Characters are key: involvement necessary for engagement
- Disposition = inherent qualities found in person
Relation/opinion formed based on actions and motives
Personal and subjective: depends on moral and experiences
- Affective (empathy) and cognitive (moral judgement)
Judgement determines if we like or dislike a character
- Enjoyment: liked characters getting rewarded and/or disliked characters get punished
- Humour: harm to immoral and disliked character is funny
- Dispositions are needed for suspense
SUSPENSE
- Suspense = anticipation of outcome – conflict resolution focused
- Created by suggestion of negative outcomes
Or anticipation of good fortunes – but unlikely to happen
- Character you care about (disposition) in jeopardy (outcome uncertainty)
- Dispositions mediate moral judgement of character
Moral justification: convincing standards not apply in context
Dehumanization: victim viewed as sub-hum/object = moral disengagement cues
- Ambiguous characters = no clear disposition, more realistic
Reduced likability balanced out by perceived realism
HOW TO CREATE SUSPENSE
1. Liked character: gifted, skilled, surprising, underdogs, vulnerable
2. Strong opponent: reveal why and how mush is feared, ‘human’
3. Problem: put character or their relationships in danger
4. Keep stakes high: raise throughout story, make it personal
5. Add time constraints: work against clock
6. Apply pressure: make problem difficult to solve
7. Plot: give information, everything needs to be clear to viewer
8. Create conflicts: impossible challenges, inner conflicts
9. More promise, less action: promise that something will go wrong
10. Be unpredictable: break viewers expectations
WHY DO WE ENJOY SUSPENSE
- Escapism = desire to withdraw or escape
Suspense helps to seduce and distract viewer from own life
- Catharsis = purification, relief
Suspense helps to diminish negative emotions of real life
- Excitation transfer theory = arousal (excitement) resulting in euphoria (extreme happiness)
Suspense rises : happiness rises : enjoyment rises retains with viewer
, TUTORIAL
- Disposition = how you feel about a character
- Disparagement: the further away you stand from the victim, the funnier the joke
- Empathy = feeling for someone else
Needed to enjoy – need to feel with characters
Different levels/ability: I don’t give a fuck/ I care too much
- Humour: just a joke vs. drama: moral is important
- Suspense: affective dispositions and outcome uncertainty
Two people you empathize with, see a weapon, villain gets shot down
WEEK 2
LECTURE
MEDIA PSYCHOLLGY
- Media psychology = studies physical or mental human behaviour in environment/context
- Research areas since world war 2
Film/tv in education, advertising, violence, news, entertainment, digital media, social media
- Psychology = effects of media product/usage on individuals
Theories about perception, memory, emotion, etc.
- Sociology = effect of media on society experiments
- Process-focused approach: goal is understanding
- Why do people cry? Tension relieve and balance mental stress
Predict when Máxima was about to cry – people empathize
- Why talent shows? Can relate: ordinary people, escapism
MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES
1. Hypodermic needle theory / magic bullet theory
Stimulus (message medium) response (reiver effect)
One step flow theory: no filtering
- Intended message is directly received and fully accepted
Rise of radio/tv: persuasion industries ads and propaganda
Gaps: people not isolated, social factors and mediation of selective information
2. Two step flow theory
Message medium opinion leader audience
Personal influence stronger than media: Trump, parents, celebs
3. Agenda setting theory
Media (re)shapes reality – connected to Framing Theory
- Amount of media coverage influences ‘importancy’
4. Reinforcement theory / limited effects theory
People seek out and absorb information that supports their beliefs/opinions
5. Used and gratifications theory
How people use media to satisfy needs – what people do
- Cognitive needs (informational), affective need (emotion), personal/social needs (models),
tension release needs (escapism)
Attention to individual user: user-based theory
