I am very interested in the impact of media on how we view the world, and particularly in messaging that is framed in fearful and tribal contexts by various sources from politicians, religious leaders, and proponents of social causes to media outlets vying for audience attention. Biologically speaking, maintaining a heightened sense of fear is a stressor that can permanently alter our neurological wiring, even after the threat abates. A heightened sense of fear colors the way we see the whole world, influencing our perceptions and, consequently, our judgments, decisions, and behaviors. These are the ideas that I am measuring in my current research that will form the basis for a dissertation on Media Impact on the Core Beliefs that Predict Conflict. I hope to identify differences among information sources in their influence on core beliefs. I am using US and China as exemplars of this phenomenon and will gather data again, post-Olympics. The link to my questionnaire is here: … [Read more...]
Paths and careers in media psychology
I recently received this email inquiry from a college student: I am very interested in obtaining some sort of degree in psychology. I have been researching all the different areas and was just wondering if the pathway would be to just get a psychology degree? Or specialize in something for the media? And then what careers would be possible? Psychology has lots of avenues. Your interests will help you determine what degree path you should follow, but at the undergraduate level, majoring in psychology is a good place to start. If you are interested in doing clinical work, I would recommend making sure you have classes like abnormal psychology, educational psychology, developmental, adolescent and look for anything that might allow you to have some hands-on experience in a clinical setting. Different schools have different opportunities, so look in departments other than psychology. There are some great education, sociology, and anthropology topics and programs that can give you a … [Read more...]
Human biological predisposition to making social connections
The human biological predisposition to seek social contact reacts to radio more than TV according to Cramer from Psychology Today. He suggests that the greater ambiguity in radio allows for more personal interpretation and hence, more personal connection. Does that ambiguity imply that talk-radio host is perceived as talking directly to you because you are not seeing the other audience? One could also argue that it is the sustained one-on-one relationship between the listener and the host. … [Read more...]
