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 better understanding of humanity in context.
If you are interested in media psychology, you will still need a very good basis in psychology. While you don’t need clinical training, some training in interaction and group dynamics with people is very valuable to research (interviewing, focus groups). You can supplement psychology with communications classes, sociology, anthropology, and political science, depending upon your interests. For media psychology, you would emphasize things like human development, cognition, attitude, persuasion, learning styles, and narrative psychology rather than more clinical applications like abnormal psychology.
Make sure that whatever you do, you take something in the biological bases of behavior and neuropsychology. Biology and neuroscience are increasingly important in our understanding of pretty much everything–behavior, perception, cognition, and emotion. Also, if you are interested in media psychology, familiarity with media content production is helpful so you know the elements that constrain the construction of the images and messages (web, social media, educational media, virtual worlds, handheld devices, not just TV and movies.)
While not everyone agrees with me, I view a media psychologist as someone who understands both people and mediated communication technologies, not just someone trained in psychology that appears in the media. It is an important function to know how to translate information for public consumption , and clearly there are clinicians who are experienced in media production. But to generically call someone a “media X” because he/she talks about his/her area of expertise in the media (or provides a service via a media platform) just seems silly to me. We don’t say media chemist, media cardiologist, media gardener, media pet trainer, media economist…. However, sociologically, it does say something about our fascination with the media and celebrity.
I see psychology as a fundamental skill. (You may have noticed that people are everywhere trying to deal with each other in some capacity–increasingly at a distance using technology.) Media psychology is applicable to a number of areas with career potential wherever people interact with technology or wherever a message is distributed through technology. All of the following areas have multiple applications: developing stuff, assessing what someone else developed, research, and/or teaching it to someone else.
- Distance learning systems (e.g. interface development, content development, how to create a viable relationship without physical presence.)
- Healthcare (interface and content development for health education through media, such as public service messages, edu-entertainment, such as soap operas with social messages, or interactive websites; distance care; support groups).
- Education (educational materials for the classroom and home that teach critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem-solving as well as content areas such as math, history, science.)
- Program development for educational and corporate environments, from media literacy to communication styles
- Entertainment from films, web, and music to video games and whatever’s next–understanding enjoyment, engagement, and attention.
- Technology design (what makes a good system or physical interface)
- Technology training (how to make people comfortable with technology means understanding why they aren’t comfortable–often more complicated that simple understanding which buttons to push.)
- Marketing, advertising, global messaging – the ability to produce responsible and positive messaging; branding (product and country); conflict resolution; social change
These are just off the top of my head and I’m quite sure I have neglected some important and very cool things.
Personally, I find the intersection of human experience and media technologies incredibly exciting. The key is really understanding human experience, because the technologies change rapidly.
Most importantly, learn everything you can. I believe it is increasingly important to think in a transdisciplinary way. There are no set rules in a world that is moving so quickly. While this can make it confusing, it is also very exhilarating to be able to define yourself and your field. For me, the key is to figure out what you really care about in life (and it’s okay to change your mind). Keep coming back to that as the touchstone for decision-making. It makes it much easier to make judgments along the way about what fits. It also allows you to engage passionately in what you do. Passion turns a ‘job’ into a personally rewarding and expanding experience. Best of luck!
About Dr. Pamela Rutledge
Thank you for this article. I am an undergrade psych student making decisions about my graduate studies. I have just learned about media psychology and I am excited about the possibilities…seems like a good fit for me. Thanks!
thanks for the info
thx yu so much fo this insightful article
right now i’m majoring in Psych. and truth
be told i haven’t of heard of such area in psych.
but now i’m intrigued and will b learning more about this occupation…
thx yu again
i’m doing a project on Media Psychology and this blog helped soooo much. thanks!
Hi, I am a television production student about to graduate with a B.S degree and I wanted to explore other opportunities in my graduate studies. I came across Media Psychology and thought to myself these are both things I love. I just wanted to get an experts opinion is this the right field for me to get into if my interest is in media?
Media psychology is a great field if you want to understand how people perceive and use media, the social and societal impact of technological changes, and the ways to use psychology to develop effective media experiences and messaging. Unlike other areas of study that focus on media, media psychology goes far beyond content–looking at the essential qualities of human beings and how they interact with technology in a myriad of ways. There is tremendous opportunity, for example, in applying psychology to developing learning and prosocial media content and delivery systems. Obviously, I’m biased in favor of media psychology, but understanding human behavior, emotion, and biological drives are fundamental to effective communication. Media is, after all, communication. You can check out the media psychology program at Fielding Graduate University http://www.fielding.edu, where (full disclosure) I am on the faculty. Fielding offers a master’s program in Media Psychology and Social Change, and a PhD in media psychology. Both are based in the school of psychology. I am happy to answer other questions you may have.
best,
Pam
Thank you for this article. I have been working in media since I was 13 (school yearbook, newspaper and the like), and I obtained a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Mass Media about four years ago. Media’s always been a passion, but I love to learn about the human psyche and how humans interact with and are affected by their environment. You don’t hear about this field too often, so I’m excited about this program because it melds my passions together. I’ll be attending a webinar information session to get the ball rolling for the admission process, and I couldn’t be happier.
Hello:
Great post. I am just about to enter an MS in Media Psychology program. Here’s my concern.
If I can’t find a job upon completing the MS, the last-ditch PhD tactic is out because I will be very near my fed loan max.
In terms of obtaining a job after completing the degree, my experience is not very impressive at age 46. Over the past ten years, I’ve published three novels and soon a fourth with small publishers, tons of short fiction, a couple of articles for Salon.com, multimedia work, and some sporadic freelance work (see http://www.netpt.tv). But I’ve had no “real world” job since 2001, and those I did have do not correlate with this degree.
Any ideas re: how I can parlay this degree some kind of future, given my lack of job experience? Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Currently, I live in Sarasota, not exactly the cutting edge in any way and with few job opportunities. I do plan to move to California, probably L.A., after completing the program.
I fear I will have to live “underground” following graduation to avoid loan collectors.
While I could one day use the degree as a credential for writing general nonfiction re: the topic, publishing is not exactly a reliable industry.
Any advice would be most appreciated.
Best,
Paul
Hi Paul,
It sounds like you’ve been a very successful freelancer. Media psychology has a very broad field of applications, but it’s hard to give much advice without knowing the kinds of things you’ll be learning/doing in the program you are entering. What is motivating you to enter the program?
Best,
Pam
Well, successful in a sense but not necessarily one that translates to employability. You see, I’ve not worked in copywriting, technical writing, advertising, etc., and my paid work has been sporadic, at best. Worse, my resume essentially has a gaping hole in it from working on my own. I have survived on a very modest freelance income and much more so on school loan disbursements.
My motivation is twofold: to better understand the psychological, social and political ramifications of the media in ways that would benefit society; to provide insight that would allow people to become better educated about how media affects them.If you’ve seen any of the documentaries by Adam Curtis, that’s the kind of understanding I’d like to gain. There is definitely a political edge to my interest.
As to my program, it involves “psychological theories and principles [to] increase your understanding of how marketing and communications impact modern media in a global society. This specialization gives you the opportunity to develop career options in such fields as media consulting, advertising, and media research.”
Nonprofit or government work could be possibilities. Teaching is not my first choice but also not out of the question. Were the PhD route available, research would certainly be a major interest and consideration. However, a PhD no longer seems financially possible.
Working within the media would be of interest so long as I were within a cutting-edge and socially-aware organization. I’m not trying to sound like a saint, by the way, but only pointing out that I’m sure the corporate and advertising worlds would find me as much miscast as I would find myself miscast in those environments.
I hope that helps explain the situation.
Many thanks!
Paul
I was very much anticipating your response to the above commnts, should you have time. Thanks!
~ Paul
I assume the lack of response indicates that a Psychology Media MS is solely employed to enhance corporate use of psychology in selling more products…as if they haven’t already mastered that approach!
Hi Paul,
I am not familiar with the thrust of the program content at places other than Fielding; what I do know is that master’s or PhD, learning how to apply psychology to the assessment and development of a range of media–not just mass media–is central to how I define media psychology. Everyone “sells”. Persuasion is as much a part of nonprofit, political and social advocacy messaging as it is commercial messaging. My main interest, however, is in how media technologies facilitate human activity; how we integrate media tools in our lives and how our media choices (as consumers, producers, or distributors) influences our attitudes, expectations, assumptions, and connections. I view media technologies and human interaction like a system, not a unidirectional model. Nevertheless, the demand for applied media psychology comes from anywhere that effective communication matters, from education and advocacy to business.
Pam
Very true. You named three potential avenues for me, that being nonprofit, political and social advocacy work. Now, I only need to learn how to break into these fields with a resume as full of holes as mine!
The thrust of my program seems to be understanding how the media and psychology interact; the classes themselves do not present any kind of agenda, per se. However, in speaking to the university’s counselor, it seems many students go into advertising. That’s fine but not the route I want to take. My frustration wasn’t directed at you but rather at the fact that my interests almost never provide a practical path. Writing alone proves that fact! Thus, I need to move fast to develop credentials beyond the degree I should have in a year and a half.
Many thanks for the response.
Paul
Hello,
I am 13 years old and am really intrested in journalism however I also enjoy reading about psychology .Both fields however are very vast and have large scope.Is media pschology a good option?
Thank you
Ritika
Dear Ritika,
First, keep reading the things that interest you! It will expand your understanding of different fields and your view of the world. You have plenty of time before you have to make a commitment to a career–many of your choices will be things that don’t even exist yet. The important thing is to find what most engages you and makes you feel motivated, productive, and energetic. From my perspective, journalism is about researching and reporting events, issues, trends, and topics. Unless you are writing editorials, it is about presenting a balanced view. Media psychology is about understanding hows and whys of behavior as it relates to the use and development of all kinds of media, not just mass media. Some media psychologist may, for example, design online education curriculum or mobile phone apps. Psychology can help journalists, of course, in presenting information in the most easily understandable way and also understanding behavior and motivations that would be helpful in researching and presenting stories. But journalists are experts in journalism, not psychology. The intersection of journalism and media psychology would most likely come in doing advocacy work. This means you are using media to promote a cause in a persuasive manner, rather than a balanced way–it’s essentially marketing for a social cause. Keep me posted in how your interests develop!
best,
Pam
Dear Dr.Rutledge,
Thank you for replying. So does that mean that media psychology is about understanding how people react to different kinds of media? And thus being a journalist and having a major in media psychology will help in understandinghow to present material which will attract the masses?
Ritika
Dear Ritika,
Media psychology takes the fundamentals of psychology–such as how and why people behave, how they process, interpret, and learn information, how people change emotionally and cognitively over time, how people as individuals and groups define themselves and others, or how groups influence individuals and vice versa–and use that to understand media. So yes, to answer your question, PART of media psychology is understanding how people react to different media and messages and the use of persuasion. What media psychology won’t teach you is the fundamentals of journalism–which has it’s own body of knowledge about writing and reporting, interviewing, ethical implications, etc. You can’t go wrong learning how to understand people and how to communicate no matter what the medium. As you learn more, you will have a better idea of what matters to you and how you want to apply your skills and enthusiasm. That will guide you to a major area of study. The most important part is what you have now–an interest in learning. Cherish and develop that.
Pam
Thankyou maam.
Ritika
hello,
i have done my graduaiton in psychology and now will be doing post graduation. i also have done course in psychotherapy and another in counselling based on carkhuff model and REBT.
the field of media psychlogy is rarely heard in india. so can u suggest me universities for media psychology in the world? ? also , what are the job opportunities? it wil be very kind if you help me as m confused n nt able to decide n which field to specialise.
I love psychology ,am an undergraduate thinking abt what to study at my post graduate level I think I ve got the answer -media psychology. However what is the prospect of media psychology. how easy is it to get a job with media psychology or is private practice a better option with media psychology. thks