Question 1

The Payne Fund research on the effects of movies on children _____.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

The Lazarsfeld approach to theory construction, because it assumed that research should begin with empirical observation, is said to be ___.

Accepted Answer

The Lazarsfeld approach is inductive because it starts with empirical observations and then moves towards the development of theories, unlike the deductive approach which starts with a hypothesis and then seeks out empirical evidence.

Question 3

You are a participant in Lazarsfeld's voter study. You favored Willkie at the start of the campaign and stayed with that choice throughout the election. You are _________.

Accepted Answer

An early decider is someone who makes up their mind at the beginning of a campaign and does not change their opinion throughout the election process, as described in the scenario.

Question 4

In two-step flow, opinion leaders, because they consume media messages, reinterpret them, and then pass them on, are ______.

Accepted Answer

Opinion leaders act as gatekeepers by filtering and interpreting media messages before passing them on to others.

Question 5

Early effects researchers like Lazarsfeld and Hoveland consistently found that media ___________.

Accepted Answer

Early effects researchers like Lazarsfeld and Hoveland found that media were not as powerful in shaping attitudes and behaviors as people commonly thought, leading to the development of theories that emphasized limited effects of media on the public.

Question 6

When they began their research in the 1940s, Lazarsfeld and Hovland were determined to use empirical research methods in order to ______.

Accepted Answer

Lazarsfeld and Hovland were determined to use empirical research methods in order to preserve and defend democracy from totalitarianism.

Question 7

Which of the following is a generalization found in limited-effects theory?

Accepted Answer

Limited-effects theory suggests that media's influence on people's attitudes and behaviors is often less significant than previously thought, indicating that when effects do occur, they tend to be modest and isolated rather than widespread and powerful.

Question 8

You and a friend watched the big game together and he is convinced that the refs were clearly favoring your team. But you watched the very same game with the very same refs and you are equally sure that the refs favored his team. Clearly, _______ is at work here.

Accepted Answer

Selective perception is the process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages while ignoring opposing viewpoints. It explains why two people can watch the same event (like a game) and come away with different interpretations based on their pre-existing biases and team loyalties.

Question 9

The Yale Group attitude change research _______.

Accepted Answer

The Yale Group attitude change research identified that attitude change is a complex process influenced by various factors such as the source of the message, the nature of the communication, and the characteristics of the audience.

Question 10

When the Yale Group studied the power of "counter-norm communications," they found that committed, highly involved group members (such as fans of sports team) are _____.

Accepted Answer

The Yale Group's study on "counter-norm communications" found that highly committed and involved group members, such as sports fans, are resistant to persuasion that suggests other groups are superior. This resistance is due to their strong identification and loyalty to their own group.

Question 11

World War II provided three important motivations for social scientists interested in attitude-change research. Among them was the simple fact of convenience. That is, _______________.

Accepted Answer

The war created a situation where there were many new military recruits available, making it convenient for social scientists to find subjects for their research on attitude change. These recruits were a readily accessible group for conducting experiments and surveys.

Question 12

Hovland's methodological advance, ______, was to take a piece of stimulus material (for example, a film) and systematically isolate and vary its potentially important elements independently and in combination to assess their effects on audience members undergoing similar variation.

Accepted Answer

Hovland's methodological advance was controlled variation, which involves systematically isolating and varying elements of a stimulus to assess their effects on the audience. This approach allows for a detailed understanding of how different factors influence audience reactions.

Question 13

Lazarsfeld concluded in his voter study that the most important influence of mass media was to ____________.

Accepted Answer

Lazarsfeld's voter study concluded that the most important influence of mass media was to reinforce a vote choice that had already been made, rather than changing people's opinions or introducing new issues.

Question 14

The body of middle-range theory now called limited- or minimal-effects theory has that name because of its assumption that the media have minimal or limited effects, as those effects _________.

Accepted Answer

The limited- or minimal-effects theory posits that media's influence is not as significant as previously thought because various mediating or intervening variables can alter, diminish, or nullify media effects on individuals or society.

Question 15

People seek out media messages consistent with the values and beliefs of those around them as they work to preserve their existing views by avoiding challenging messages. They do this because they _______.

Accepted Answer

This behavior is explained by the desire for cognitive consistency, where individuals prefer information that aligns with their existing beliefs and values, avoiding cognitive dissonance that might arise from encountering conflicting information.

Question 16

Selective perception is people's tendency to attend to media messages they feel are in accord with their already-held attitudes and interests and the parallel tendency to avoid those that might create dissonance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Selective perception is people's tendency to attend...

Question 17

Outrage-based content, for example much of talk radio and angry social network screeds, is selected by political partisans not so much for its attitude-confirming information as for its satisfaction of the social need to find community in safe ideological spaces.

Accepted Answer

Outrage-based content often serves to reinforce pre-existing beliefs and attitudes, providing a sense of belonging and community among like-minded individuals, rather than solely offering new information or perspectives. This content creates "safe ideological spaces" where individuals feel their views are validated and supported.

Question 18

Someone enjoying ideological homophily communicates with people from across the political spectrum.

Accepted Answer

Ideological homophily refers to the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with others who share similar political or ideological beliefs, thus someone enjoying ideological homophily would primarily communicate with people who have similar political views, not across the spectrum.

Question 19

People who enjoy a somewhat heterogeneous circle of friends are exposed to cross-cutting (ideologically discordant) content.

Accepted Answer

People with a diverse circle of friends are more likely to encounter a variety of perspectives and opinions, including those that differ from their own, thus exposing them to cross-cutting content.

Question 20

Information that is consistent with a person's already-held attitudes creates psychological discomfort, or dissonance.

Accepted Answer

Information that is consistent with a person's already-held attitudes typically creates psychological comfort, not dissonance. Dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between beliefs or between beliefs and actions.

Quiz 4: The Emergence of the Media-Effects Trend in Mass Communication Theory