Media Effects notes
Early evidence supporting a
belief in maximum effects
Empirical research not start until late ‘20s
Procedures, strategies, techniques not available until then
Framework of sweeping changes in society:
Following WWI: migration, urbanization, industrialization
and modernization
Scholars influenced by Darwin:
Humans descended from animals
Therefore, like animals, have
uniform, instinctive reactions to
stimuli
This attitude informed early research
Magic bullet
theory:
media have direct, immediate,
and powerful effects
Assumed messages reached everyone in the same
way, with the same effect
Could affect changes in thought and attitude in
everyone
Payne Fund studies, late ‘20s-early ‘30s, 1st large-scale study
of effects of major mass medium
13 studies of movies and audiences.
E.g., Blumer study –
asked kids how they thought movies affected
them
Concluded movies were source of
imitation, unintentional learning,
and
emotional influence
Study lacked validity, reliability
. Sample was skewed
Still, remains a historical landmark
Results frightened public
Payne Fund
studies confirmed theory, reinforced legacy of
fear in general public
Technical criticisms of studies largely ignored
Technically flawed
Lacked objective measures
Would not be acceptable today
Orson Welles’
War of the Worlds
broadcast panicked millions
Seemed to
reinforce
again the theory of
magic bullet
Deeply disturbed public, broadcasters & FCC
Unique opportunity to study behavior triggered by mass comm
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Hadley Cantril, Princeton, studied 135 people in NJ
People low in critical ability tended to accept it without
checking facts elsewhere
People high in critical ability tended not to believe it, even if
tuned in late
Education single biggest factor
in whether or not
people would check other sources
Seemed to reinforce legacy of fear, yet
raised doubts
about magic bullet
Beyond the magic bullet:
Selective and limited effects
Late 20’s, psychologists & sociologists developing theories that
would eventually dispel magic bullet theory
Studied
individual
differences
People’s needs, values, attitudes, intelligence
Played key roles in shaping behavior
Also studied
social categories
Economic levels, racial/ethnic, social institutions
(religion, family, government), etc
Also big effect on behavior

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- Winter '11
- Kittle
- Sociology, Mass Media, Media influence, MAGIC BULLET THEORY
-
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