Why is the War of the Worlds radio show related to limited effects theory as opposed to mass society theory ?
Why might the media industry favour the limited effects perspective ? In what way might they be guilty of a double standard ?
How might the limited-effects perspective dovetail with ideological biases ?
What are some of the limitations of empirical research methods ?
What is inductive research ? Give an example from the study of mass communication.
What do you understand by the term "cross-pressured" ?
Might it be unwise to assume that reinforcement is a limited effect ?
What is indirect-effects theory ?
What is cognitive consistency ? Give a media-related example.
Describe a media related example of selective perception.
information flow theory - how effective are the media in transmitting information to a mass audiences today in comparison to the 1930s-50s?
phenomenistic theory - in relation to other social institutions such as the family and school, what is the role of the media according to Joseph Klapper? Might Klapper's theory be undermined or supported by new media ?
the power elite perspective sees media as rationalizing the status quo - in what ways do 1940s-50s Life magazine content rationalize the status quo in favour of society's elite ? Are such methods still in play ? C. Wright Mills argued that power is centralized in a small group (the power elite). Do you think Mills prove to be prophetic ?
Nielsen and Arbitron
Carl Hovland - Why We Fight ? What were his conclusions about the effectiveness of this WW II propaganda series ?
Who would you trust as an opinion leader and why ?
Why did Hovland's research emphasize the effects of advertising and marketing on audiences ?
Why might European communication theorists be viewed as overly speculative and unscientific by American media theorists differ in their perspectives during the 1950s? On the other hand, in what ways might the European theorists criticize their American counterparts ?
How is the two-step flow model compatible with limited effects theory ?
What are the differences between selective exposure, selective retention, and selective perception ?
