Big Theory Health and Mass Media

Consider how or why you attend to, or are affected by, a piece of media.

You might find you attend to certain stimuli for different reasons. You might find that you pay attention to some news stories more than others, that the media are or are not influential on your views, or find that having information about certain conditions over others changes the nature of their importance to you. Your reactions can be explained by some of the Big Theories, as we'll call them this semester, that provide explanations of how we react to and are influenced by and process media messages.

https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/MetastaticBreastCancerIntroduction.html

experiment

1—Strongly Disagree

2—Somewhat Disagree

3—Neither Disagree or Agree

4—Somewhat Agree

5—Strongly Agree

21. This message would catch my attention.

22. This message is believable.

23. This message would make me more likely to exercise regularly.

24. This message is memorable.

25. This message is effective.

posttest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZVUobJirDI

experiment

1—Strongly Disagree

2—Somewhat Disagree

3—Neither Disagree or Agree

4—Somewhat Agree

5—Strongly Agree

21. This message would catch my attention.

22. This message is believable.

23. This message would make me more likely to exercise regularly.

24. This message is memorable.

25. This message is effective.

posttest

https://vimeo.com/211413427

experiment 2

posttest

Rank issues in terms of importance

Heart disease

Cancer

Breastfeeding

Lice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Wxx6O3nhk

experiment 2

posttest

Rank issues in terms of importance

Heart disease

Cancer

Breastfeeding

Lice

Theory is an Explanation and a Map

Theory

Big Theories, as we'll call them, will guide our discussions all semester

Uses and Gratifications

Theory

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Katz

-Consider one medium you use and why.

Cultivation Theory

Gerbner

-mainstreaming

-What medium contributes most to your attitudes about health?

Agenda Setting Theory

McCombs, Shaw

-what to think about

-how to think about it, framing

-what issues go together

-when do people pay most attention?

-agendamelding

Agenda Setting

check your news feed

More agenda setting

what is on the health agenda right now?

Framing of obesity--plusses and minuses of different frames

Exemplification Theory

Exemplification Theory

Zillmann

-exemplars vs. didactic presentation

-retrievable, accessible, processing, part of human nature

-vivid, salient

-Think about a story or narrative related to health that really stuck with you.

The Course

We'll talk about each context of mass media and health

more generally and then through these theories.

For each unit, we'll plan on :

1) overview with readings and prezi/activities

2) exemplar viewing

3) discussion with discussion leaders on information in unit and exemplar(s)

We'll pick discussion leaders soon!

Discussion leaders will guide discussion for each context and use these to examine each area more closely. Leaders will turn in at least 5 points or questions or activities for discussion (via a forum). These theories will be part of the discussion points/questions and have some ties to our readings. The rest is up to you. More detail is in the assignment sheet.

We'll also examine an exemplar media piece for each context. Discussion leaders will also help us discuss these example pieces of media. The theories and some ties to our course readings are the only definite things you should include in your discussion ideas; the rest is totally up to you. More detail is in the assignment sheet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xl0Qr0uXuY

Choose one of the big theories and examine the media exemplar below through the appropriate theoretical lens. Use the slides in this prezi or the Big Theories Chart in this block to help you.

How does your theory explain potential effects or processing of this piece of media? Spell out some specific scenarios. We'll look at another piece or two and swap theories as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/ftljv8/you_dont_look_autistic/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McDeTvh9sbU

Exercise in Theoretical Lenses

Big Ideas in Media Effects--How do these change, given the media environment of today?

Source

Credibility

Big Ideas

Big Theories Chart/Theories Readings

The readings for this unit are posted in this course block. They provide detail on the theories highlighted in this prezi. The chart that breaks down these theories is in this block and in the course resources block at the bottom of this course page. This will be a good study tool for you.

Experiment to Start