Media Psychology: EDUC 1080 & PSY 1050

Spring, 2015

Instructor: Dr. Roger Klein

Office Hours: Thursday, 11:00-12:30, or by appointment

Office: Posvar Hall 5945

Phone: 648-7043

email: rklein@ pitt.edu

Note: Email is the fastest way to reach me. However, PLEASE put “Media Psychology” in the subject field.

Course Overview: The main purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of the ways in which the media—primarily electronic media---affect the viewer psychologically. A second purpose is to examine how the science of psychology is presented in the media. An examination will be made of several psychological theories that help to explain media effects. A particular emphasis will be placed upon the following media psychology-related topics: Aggression, advertising, news, portrayals of minorities, emotion, and health behaviors.

DateTopic

Jan. 8th Overview. TV as an emotional medium.

Media issues, roles of media psychologists.

Videos: Tragedy at Sandy Hook, Dr. Phil

Jan.15thTheory, Research and Application II

Classical Conditioning and Advertising

Videos: BUYology, wolves, John Watson,

*Articles: Palmer, Kunkel

Jan. 22nd Theory, Research and Application I

Modeling and Operant Conditioning

Videos: Super Nanny

Jan. 29thMedia violence I Videos: ESPN, Jackass, Penn and Teller, Nightline: Ferguson

vs. Strasburger, Supreme Court decision

*Articles: Huesmann, Fischoff

Note: Take the Implicit Association Test (IAT) for both Race and Age prior to Feb. 5thclass. The URL is

Click on “proceed” at bottom of the page and various test options will appear.

Feb. 5thMedia Violence II

Videos: IAT, 20/20: Race and Sex

*Articles: D. R. Anderson, Gentile

Feb.12thThe work of Fred Rogers

Guest speakers: Ms. Hedda Sharapan, Producer, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, & David Newell (Mr. McFeely)

Paper # 1 due*Article: Fisch

NOTE: Watch one local Pittsburgh newscast before class on Feb. 19th

Feb. 19thBroadcastNews I: Information Processing, Learning

Videos:WPXI, change blindness

*Articles: Austin, Spicer-Brooks

Feb.26th Broadcast News II: Emotion, Risks

Mar. 5thMedia Ethics and Media Psychology

Videos: Dr. Drew, Bullying in the Classroom, CBS

March 12thSpring Break

March 19th Hip-Hop Music (student presentation)

Paper II Due *Articles: Munoz-Laboy, APA task force on sexualization of

girls.

March 26th The Internet

Audio: Internet pornography

Video: Teens and the Internet

*Article: Lenhart

April 2nd Sports & Heroes

Videos: HBO: Mickey Mantle

Articles: Nyland, Rada

April 9thReality TV (student presentation)

April 16thFuture issues in Media Psychology

Paper # 3 due

Grading:

There are 4 requirements for the course. Three papers (80%) and class attendance/participation(20%). Your typed papers are graded 50% for content and 50% for clarity, style and grammar (unless you are an International student whose native language is not English).

Papers:

Pick three of the following. For EACH selection (other than # 14) write a 7 pagedouble spaced paper, in your own words. Do not use materials that come from any source other than this course. Do not use online materials if they are not listed here. Limit your personal opinion to no more than 1 page per 7 pages written.

Watch/tape 1 local newscast. Create a definition of a positive, negative and neutral story. Then, watch/tape one weekof local TV news from the same station. First, define and then record the frequency of positive, negative and neutral stories for each ethnic group covered. Include sports separately. Second, summarize the data for each group using simple averages. Compare your findings with those reported in Klein and Naccarato.

Watch 2 Sesame Street broadcasts. Compare what you see with the article by Fisch et al.

Find someone who regularly uses educational baby products. Interview them and compare with results from Kaiser Foundation article on educational media for babies.

You may use this option ONCE ONLY. In your own words summarize any 2 of the articles beginning on pg. 4(except M. Worthen). Note—you must select articles from 2 different sections (i.e., can’t have 2 from “Advertising”). You can also combine the Gigerenzer article with the Myers article—but this counts as one.

Watch/tape a series of 5 TV ads directed at children. Read the Report of the APA Task Force (2004) on advertising and children at the ads watched with the concerns in the report.

Watch the Dr. Phil show once, and read 1 print column by John Rosemund, and either one internet column by Leonard Holmes, the “about com” psychological column, Summarize the psychological material presented from all 3, (it is understood that the 3 areas covered will not have the same content), and then compare and critique how effectively the psychological material was presented to the public. Turn in the print/internet columns.

Play 2 video games with violent content—or have a teenager play them. Describe your/his/her feelings, emotions and physiological reactions during play---and compare this with a summary of the article by either Huesmann or Olson (pick one of the 2 written by Olson).

Watch any 2 Prime-Time TV shows. Record the presence and roles of minority performers. Compare your findings with those of Hoffman and Noriega study on Latinos, and determine if the Noriega study is still “accurate”.

Watch 2 prime time shows known for sexually explicit references or content. Compare with APA Task Force report on sexualization in girls, or one from Eyal, Farrer or Yao articles. Note: Yao article is under Aggression section, Eyal and Farmer are under Sexual Behavior listings.

Compare one segment of the cancelled FX comedy “Starved”, on reserve at Hillman, with 4 of the 6 eating disorder articles from 2009 issues of the Monitor on Psychology at

And also

Compare your own use of the Internet for health seeking informationwith Gray. Analyze how things have changed since Gray wrote the paper.

Interview a child who uses the Internet and compare with Yan. Analyze how things have changed since Yan wrote the paper.

Design, conduct and analyze data from a survey. Work with, at most, one other person. Counts for 2 papers. You must analyze the data with the help of a graduate student who I will select for you, write a 5 page APA style paper summarizing your results, and briefly discuss in class on 4-17. Possibilities tobe discussed in class. Paper due week of 4-17.

Two students can deliver the lecture on Hip-Hop/Rap. Counts for 2 papers. Must plan lecture with me, use multi-media, as well as review as part of the lecture, the 2 hip-hop research articles.

Two students can deliver the lecture on Reality TV on. Counts for 2 papers. Must plan lecture with me, use multi-media, as well as review as part of the lecture 2 reality TV research articles.

Compare Bushman and Ferguson on the impact of sex and violence on commercial recall/purchases.

READINGS BELOW:

The following readings are to be used with the above exercises and selected class lectures. Asterisks (*) designate articles that are good to read prior to lecture.

All journal articles are accessible through Pitt online “e journals” or by using the url provided with the article title.

A few of the articles have statistical and/or methodological designs that go beyond the scope of this class. You are only to summarize articles in terms of the “gist” of the article---not the statistical/methodological aspects.

Addiction:

Young, K (2009). Internet addiction: Diagnosis and treatment considerations. J Contemporary Psychotherapy 39, 241–246

Griffiths, M. & Meredith, A. (2009). Videogame addiction and treatment. J Contemporary Psychotherapy 39, 247-253.

Advertising:

Brocato et al. (2010). Television commercial violence: Potential effects on children. Journal of Advertising, 39, 95-107.

Buijzen, M., & Valkenburg , P., M. (2005). Parental mediation of undesired advertising effects. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 49, 153-165.

Bushman, B., (2005). Violence and sex in television programs do not sell products in advertisements. Psychological Science, 16, 702-

Ferguson, C. J., et al. (2010) Violence and sex as advertising strategies in television commercials. European Psychologist15, 304-311.

*Kunkel,D., et.al. (2004).APA Task Force on Advertising and Children. Retrieved 7-5-05.

*Palmer, E., L., Carpenter, C., F. (2006). Food and beverage marketing to children and youth: Trends and issues. Media Psychology, 8, 165-190.

Scharrer, E., Bergstrom, A., Paradise, A., & Ren, Q. (2006). Laughing to keep from crying: Humor and aggression in television commercial content. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50, 615-634.

Zwarun, L., Linz, D., Metzger, M., & Kunkel, D. (2006). Effects of showing risk in beer commercials to young drinkers. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50, 52-77.

Aggression:

Anderson, C.A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L.R., Johnson, J., Linz, D., et al. (2003). The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 81–110.

Coyne et al. (2008). The effects of viewing physical and relational aggression in the media: Evidence for a cross-over effect. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 1551-1554.

*Gentile, D., Saleem, M., & Anderson, C. (2007). Public policy and the effects of media violence on children.

Goidel, R.,K. & Procopio, S., T.(2006). The impact of television viewing on perceptions of juvenile crime. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50, 119-139.

*Huesmann, L., R. (2007) The impact of electronic media violence: Scientific theory and research. Journal of Adolescent Health 41, 6, Supplement #1 S6–S13.

Sisak, M & Varnik, A. (2012). Media roles in suicide prevention: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9, 123-138.

Williams, K. R., & Guerra, N., G.(2007). Prevalence and predictors of Internet bullying
Journal of Adolescent Health 41, 6, Supplement #1 S14-S21

Worthen, M., (2007). Education policy implications from the expert panel on electronic media and youth violence. Journal of Adolescent Health41, 6, Supplement #1, S61-S63.

Yao, M.Z., Mahood, C., & Linz, D. (2010). Sexual priming, gender stereotyping and likelihood to sexually harass: Examining the cognitive effects of playing a sexually explicit video game. Sex Roles, 62, 77-88.

Questioning the impact of media violence:

Dye, M., et al. (2009). Increasing speed of processing with action video games. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 321-326.

Ferguson, C.J., San Miguel, C., & Hartley, R., D. (2009). A multivariate analysis of youth violence and aggression: The influence of family, peers, depression and media violence. The Journal of Pediatrics, 155, 904-908.

*Fischoff, S. (1999). Psychology’s quixotic quest for the media-violence connection. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Boston.

Olson, C.K. (2010). Children’s motivations for video game play in the context of normal development. Review of General Psychology,14, 180-187.Retrieved August 27 2010 from
Olson, C.K., Kutner, L.A., Baer, L., Beresin, E.V., Warner, D.E., & Nicholi, A.M. Jr. (2009). M-rated video games and aggressive or problem behavior among young adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 13, 188-198.

Children:

Coyne, S. et al. (2011). Game On. . . Girls: Associations between co-playing video games and

adolescent behavioral and family outcomes. Retrieved August 28th 2011 from

*Fisch, S., Truglio, R., & Cole, C. (1999). The impact of Sesame Street on preschool children: A review and synthesis of 30 years’ research. Media Psychology, 1, 165-190.

Henderson, V., R. (2007). Longitudinal associations between television viewing and body mass index among White and Black girls. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, 544-550.

Jaffe, E. (2005). Watch and learn. The Observer, 8. Retrieved Dec. 24th 2005.

Kaiser Family Foundation (2005). A teacher in the living room? Educational media for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Retrieved Dec. 15th 2005.

Kirkorian, H. et.al. (2009). The impact of background television on parent-child interaction. Child Development, 80, 1350-1359

Schmidt, M., et.al., (2005). The effects of media on children ages zero to six: A history of research. Retrieved 2-10-05.

Wartella, E., Caplovitz, A., & Lee, J. (2004). From Baby Einstein to Leap Frog, from Doom to the Sims, from Instant Messaging to Internet Chat Rooms: Public interest in the role of interactive media in children’s lives. Social Policy Report, 18, 1-19.

Internet

Anderson et al. (2012). Facebook psychology: Popular questions answered by research. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1, 23-37.

Bessiere, K., et al. (2010). Effects of Internet use on health and depression: A longitudinal study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from

Bevan st al. (2012). Negative emotional and cognitive responses to being unfriended on Facebook: An exploratory study. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 1458-1464.

Coyne, S. et. al. (2011). I luv u :)!”: A descriptive study of the media use of individuals in romantic relationships. Family Relations, 60, 150-162.

Gray, N., J., et.al. (2005). Health-information-seeking behavior in adolescence: The place of the Internet. Social Science and Medicine, 60, 1467-1478.

Deters, F. & Mehl, M. (2012). Does posting facebook status updates increasae or decrease loneliness? An online social networking experiment. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 4, 579-586.

Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2006).Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit

online material and recreational attitudes toward sex. Journal of Communication 56, 639–660.

Turnage, A., K. (2007). Email flaming behaviors and organizational conflict. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 13, 43–59.

Valkenburg, P., & Jochen, P. (2007). Online communication and adolescent well-being: Testing the stimulation versus the displacement hypothesis. .Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1169-1182,

Wolak, J., Mitchell, K., & Finkelhor, D. (2007). Unwanted and wanted exposure to online pornography in a national sample of youth Internet users.Pediatrics, 119, 247-257

Yan, Z. (2005). Age differences in children’s understanding of the complexity of the Internet. Applied Developmental Psychology, 26, 385-396.

Music:

Anderson, C.A., Carnagey, N.L., & Eubanks, J. (2003). Exposure to

violent media: The effects of songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,84, 960–971.

Greitemeyer, T. (2009). Effects of songs with prosocial lyrics on prosocial thoughts, affect, and behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 45, 186–190.

*Munoz-Laboy, M, Weinstein, H., & Parker, R. (2007). The Hip-Hop club scene: Gender, grinding and sex. Culture, Health & Sexuality,9, 615–628

Stokes, C.,E., (2007). Representin’ in cyberspace: Sexual scripts, self-definition, and hip hop culture in Black American adolescent girls’ home pages. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 9, 169–184

News:

*Allen, C. (2006). Discovering “Joe Six Pack” content in television News: The hidden history of audience research, news consultants, and the Warner Class Model. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50, 363-382.

*Austin, E. et.al., (2006). Benefits and costs of Channel One in a middle school setting and the role of media-literacy training.Pediatrics, 117, 423 – 433.

Klein, R. (2003). Audience reactions to local TV news. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1661-1672.

Prejudice & Racial Issues:

Bushman, B. J., & Bonacci, A. M. (2004). You`ve got mail: Using e-mail to examine the effect of prejudiced attitudes on discrimination against Arabs. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 753-759.

*Dixon, T., L., (2005). Skin tone, crime news and social reality judgments: Priming the stereotype of the dark and dangerous black criminal. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35, 1555-1570.

Hoffman, A., & Noriega, C. (2004). Looking for Latino regulars on prime-time television. UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 4 (December).

Johnson J. D., Bushman, B.J., & Dovidiod, J.F. (2008). Support for harmful treatment and reduction of empathy toward blacks: ‘‘Remnants” of stereotype activation involving Hurricane Katrina and ‘‘Lil’ Kim”.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44, 1506–1513

Klein, R. & Naccarato, S. (2003). Broadcast news portrayal of minorities: Accuracy in reporting. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1611-1616.

*Rada, J., A. & Wulfemeyer, K., T. (2005). Color coded: Racial descriptors in television coverage of intercollegiate sports. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 49, 65-85.

9-11 and Terrorism:

Fahmy, S., Cho, S., Wanta, W., & Song, Y. (2006). Visual agenda-setting after 9-11: Individuals' emotions, image recall and concern with terrorism. Visual Communication Quarterly, 13, 4-15.

Gigerenzer, G. (2004). Dread risk, September 11, and fatal traffic accidents. Psychological Science, 15, 286-287.

Myers, D. Do we fear the right things? American Psychological Society Observer, 14, 3.

*Spicer-Brooks, M. (2002). The psychological impact of terrorism coverage: Creating a Prozac nation?

Sexual Behavior:

*2007 report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on sexualization of girls. Retrieved 5-07.

Collins, R., et al, (2004). Watching sex on television predicts adolescent initiation of sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 114, 280-289.

Escobar-Chaves, et al. (2005). Impact of media on adolescentsexual attitudes and behaviors.Pediatrics, 116 , 303-326.

Eyal, E., Kunkel, D., Biely, E., & Finnerty, K. (2007). Sexual socialization messages on television programs most popular among teens. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 51, 316-337.

Farrar, K., M. (2006).Sexual intercourse on television: Do safe sex messages matter? Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 50, 635-650.

Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2007). Adolescents’ exposure to a sexualized media environment and their notions of women as sex objects. Sex Roles 56, 381–395.

Sports:

*Nylund, D. (2004). When in Rome: Heterosexism, homophobia, and sports talk radio. Journal of

Sport and Social Issues, 28, 136–168.

Tamburro, R. et al (2004). Unsafe and violent behavior in commercials aired during televised major sporting events. Pediatrics, 114, 694-698.

Farquhar, L, & Meeds, R. (2007) Types of fantasy sports users and their motivations. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12, 1208–1228.

Special Needs Students: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an
accommodation, you are encouraged to contact me andthe
Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, 412 648-7890/412
383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your
disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

Please feel free to discuss any concerns that you might have.