COM 203: Introduction to Communication Week 9, Day 2, 3/22 Agenda Quiz 2 (30 minutes) Discuss mass communication and perspectives on the effects of media Reminders: Paper 3 due on 4/10 Quiz 3 is on 4/12 Some questions…. Following questions….are they fiction or reality about the effects of mass media? Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is only make believe…people know it is not real But… News is not make-believe (at least it’s not supposed to be) Most film and television dramas (Modern Family) are produced to seem real to viewers Much of contemporary television are “reality shows” Before they develop the capacity to know what is not real, children confront the world through television ~ what they see is real. We willingly suspend disbelief while consuming media in the name of entertainment. Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is only entertainment But… News is not play or entertainment (at least it’s not supposed to be). Even if media content is only play, play is very important to the way we develop our knowledge of ourselves and our world (think about what we learn from “playing sports”) Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is merely a mirror that is showing us the “norm” But…. If this is true then it is a very selective mirror. Some questions to think on: What does a “typical family” look like on TV? When there is a “bad person” on TV what do they look like? What race or ethnicity do “heros” tend to be? What sex? How are jobs represented on TV with regard to sex? Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media merely reinforces existing values…family, church, school, etc. have more impact But…. The traditional socializing agents (school, religion, family) have lost much of their power to influence in our complicated and fast-paced world. Moreover, reinforcement is not the same as having no effects. If media can reinforce the good in our culture, media can just as easily reinforce the bad. Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media doesn’t impact important issues, only minor ones like fads and fashion But…. Fads and fashions are not unimportant to us. Think about how much time and effort is spent on selecting clothes, cars, phones, electronics, etc. Media helped make fads and fashions so central to our self-definition and happiness. Why are billions of dollars spent on media efforts to sway opinion about social issues such as universal health care, nuclear power, and global warming. Are these not important issues? MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES Given the importance of mass communication and its many forms, there are quite a few well-developed theories regarding the meaning-making relationship between mass media and their audiences. Cultivation Theory Developed by George Gerbner in the 1970s. Deals with television effects and argues that television has long-term effects Effects are gradual but significant  an increased belief that the world is a cruel place Mean World Syndrome ...

1. COM 203: Introduction to Communication
Week 9, Day 2, 3/22
Agenda
Quiz 2 (30 minutes)
Discuss mass communication and perspectives on the effects of
media
Reminders:
Paper 3 due on 4/10
Quiz 3 is on 4/12
Some questions….
Following questions….are they fiction or reality about the
effects of mass media?
Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality?
Media is only make believe…people know it is not real
But…
News is not make-believe (at least it’s not supposed to be)
Most film and television dramas (Modern Family) are produced
to seem real to viewers

2. Much of contemporary television are “reality shows”
Before they develop the capacity to know what is not real,
children confront the world through television ~ what they see
is real.
We willingly suspend disbelief while consuming media in the
name of entertainment.
Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality?
Media is only entertainment
But…
News is not play or entertainment (at least it’s not supposed to
be).
Even if media content is only play, play is very important to the
way we develop our knowledge of ourselves and our world
(think about what we learn from “playing sports”)
Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality?
Media is merely a mirror that is showing us the “norm”
But….
If this is true then it is a very selective mirror.

3. Some questions to think on:
What does a “typical family” look like on TV?
When there is a “bad person” on TV what do they look like?
What race or ethnicity do “heros” tend to be? What sex?
How are jobs represented on TV with regard to sex?
Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality?
Media merely reinforces existing values…family, church,
school, etc. have more impact
But….
The traditional socializing agents (school, religion, family) have
lost much of their power to influence in our complicated and
fast-paced world.
Moreover, reinforcement is not the same as having no effects. If
media can reinforce the good in our culture, media can just as
easily reinforce the bad.
Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality?
Media doesn’t impact important issues, only minor ones like
fads and fashion
But….
Fads and fashions are not unimportant to us.
Think about how much time and effort is spent on selecting

4. clothes, cars, phones, electronics, etc.
Media helped make fads and fashions so central to our self-
definition and happiness.
Why are billions of dollars spent on media efforts to sway
opinion about social issues such as universal health care,
nuclear power, and global warming. Are these not important
issues?
MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES
Given the importance of mass communication and its many
forms, there are quite a few well-developed theories regarding
the meaning-making relationship between mass media and their
audiences.
Cultivation Theory
Developed by George Gerbner in the 1970s.
Deals with television effects and argues that television has
long-term effects
Sees television as our window to the world which cultivates
realties for those who watch it.
Television violence, specifically, lies at the heart of this theory.
Social Cognitive Theory
Created by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1960’s following
his famous Bobo Doll study.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmBqwWlJg8U

5. Individuals “model” behaviors that the see.
While originally developed in psychology, this theory has
moved to also encompass mass media.
Specifically, the belief that we model what we see in the media
How do we model?
Imitation: An individual exactly imitates a behavior that they
see on mass media
Child watches a cartoon where one character hits another with a
stick. The child then decides to hit her brother with a stick
Identification: An individual doesn’t copy an observed behavior
exactly but mimics it in “spirit”
Rather than hit her brother with a stick, the child pushes her
brother down. Thus mimicking the observed aggression to
another as seen in the cartoon
So How Does Modeling Work?
Observational learning: Observers can acquire (learn) new
behaviors simply by seeing those behaviors performed.
Many of us who have never fired a handgun can do so because
we’ve seen it done.
Inhibitory effects: Seeing a model, a movie character, for
example, punished for a behavior reduces the likelihood that the
observer will perform that behavior.
On TV we see Good Samaritans sued for trying to help
someone, and it reduces our willingness to help in similar
situations

6. So How Does Modeling Work (cont)?
Disinhibitory effects: Seeing a model rewarded for prohibited or
threatening behavior increases the likelihood that the observer
will perform that behavior.
This is the basis for complaints against the glorification of
crime and drugs in movies.
Behaviors that people might not otherwise make, now become
more likely to occur ~the behaviors are disinhibited
So what do you think?
Are these perspectives valid?
Are these perspectives capturing the type of communication
patterns we see in mass media and audiences?
Next time…
Discussing media literacy
Please read Ch. 11
Intro to Comm Mini-Paper
· Format: This paper should be 1-2 pages (2 ½ pages max;).
Half a page does not count as a page.
· Write in Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced, and
contain one-inch margins.
· NO PLAGIARISM, use your opinions
· In class this week (and in your text) you were presented with a
wide variety of theories and concepts that explain how media
may (or may not) have an impact on us. Do you think that media
have an effect on our behaviors (violence, drug use, sexual

7. behavior, attitudes towards others, stereotyping, alcohol
consumption, etc.)?Which of the theories/concepts that were
discussed makes the most sense to you? Which one makes the
least sense? Please make sure you explain why. (social
cognitive theory, cultivation theory, or talk about modeling
(observational learning, inhibitory effects, etc.)