Question 1

The __________ studies were conducted in the 1950s to show that children exposed to violent television programming were prone to commit acts of violence themselves.

Accepted Answer

The Bobo doll studies, conducted by Albert Bandura in the 1950s and 1960s, demonstrated that children exposed to violent behavior on television were more likely to imitate such behavior themselves.

Question 2

Qualitative studies are often used to provide quantitative studies with more __________.

Accepted Answer

Qualitative studies are helpful in providing depth and texture to quantitative studies, which may often be focused on simple statistical data without exploring the underlying reasons or motivations behind the numbers. However, they do not necessarily provide framework research or empirical authority in the same way that quantitative studies do.

Question 3

Which qualitative research technique allows a researcher to take part in the study as a member of the group being studied?

Accepted Answer

Participant-observation involves the researcher observing and interacting with the study participants in their natural setting while also being a member of the group being studied. This allows the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of the group's beliefs, behaviors, and culture. Cultivation analysis focuses on analyzing media messages and their effects on society, while pragmatism is a philosophical approach and not a specific research technique. Focus groups involve a group discussion about a specific topic and do not necessarily involve the researcher being a member of the group being studied.

Question 4

__________ are widely used by media researchers and marketers to help them draw conclusions about media behavior.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are commonly used by media researchers and marketers to gather qualitative data about media behavior from a small group of individuals. This allows them to explore attitudes and opinions about media consumption in-depth and gain insights into consumer behavior. While epistemologies and political economies may inform media research, they are not specific tools used to collect data. Digital divides, on the other hand, refer to inequalities in access to digital technology and are not a research method.

Question 5

You want to learn more about how Facebook use has changed or evolved since it first became available to a larger online community. What kind of study should you conduct?

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study would be the most appropriate choice for tracking changes in Facebook use over time since it allows for the collection of data at multiple points over an extended period. This type of study would provide insight into how Facebook use has changed since its inception and how those changes can be explained or predicted.

Question 6

The notion of __________ was a rationale for why elites should lead and others should follow?

Accepted Answer

The notion of "the masses" suggests that there is a majority of people who are less educated, less informed, and less capable of making decisions for themselves. This rationale was used by elites to justify their leadership role and the need for others to follow their guidance.

Question 7

The hypodermic-needle theory has also been called the __________ model of mass communication.

Accepted Answer

The hypodermic-needle theory is also known as the "magic bullet" model of mass communication, as it suggests that media messages are injected directly into the passive audience's minds, influencing them in a powerful and immediate way.

Question 8

Prompting widespread panic, Orson Welles's broadcast of __________ convinced many listeners that Martians were invading the East Coast.

Accepted Answer

Orson Welles's broadcast of "War of the Worlds" was a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel in which he presented it as a series of news bulletins. Many listeners tuned in after the start of the program and missed the disclaimer, which led to widespread panic and confusion as people believed that Martians were actually invading the East Coast of the United States.

Question 9

George Gerbner's research on the long-term impact of television watching generated which theory?

Accepted Answer

George Gerbner's research on the long-term impact of television watching generated cultivation analysis, which proposes that heavy television viewing can shape an individual's perception of reality and cultivate a shared worldview among a society of viewers.

Question 10

__________ is a school of thought affirming truths found in actions that work and rejecting the possibility of overarching or purely objective notions of truth.

Accepted Answer

Pragmatism is the school of thought that affirms the practical application of knowledge and rejects the idea of objective truth. It emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and considers truth as a process of inquiry and experimentation rather than something fixed and absolute.

Question 11

Complete the following quotation about agenda setting from political scientist Bernard Cohen: "The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers __________."

Accepted Answer

The full quotation is "The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about." This means that the media is not able to control people's thoughts or opinions, but it is able to influence what topics they prioritize or consider important.

Question 12

Media ecology examines how our media __________ influences our thinking and how specific types of media affect our __________.

Accepted Answer

Media ecology examines how our media environment or the overall environment comprised of media influences our thinking and perception. It also explores how specific types of media affect our perceptions of different issues and events.

Question 13

The belief first-person shooter video games, ones that provide interactive and immersive action, cause gamers to act more violently in real life is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

The belief that technology, such as video games, has a deterministic effect on human behavior is an example of technological determinism. The idea that playing violent video games causes individuals to become more violent in real life is often rooted in this belief.

Question 14

Early theorizing on mass communication occurred against a backdrop of dramatic societal and political upheaval in Europe and the United States. These changes that occurred during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries resulted from __________.

Accepted Answer

The changes in society and politics during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were largely driven by industrialization, which brought about new technologies and modes of communication that impacted mass communication. While world wars may have contributed to some of these changes, they cannot be seen as the primary cause. Free-market expansion and the growth of the middle class were also factors, but not to the same extent as industrialization.

Question 15

The most famous proponent of medium theory, __________ coined the phrase "the medium is the message."

Accepted Answer

Marshall McLuhan is the most famous proponent of medium theory and coined the phrase "the medium is the message." The other options, Stuart Hall, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, and George Gerbner, were also prominent media theorists, but they did not formulate the idea of "the medium is the message."

Question 16

Media researcher Jeffrey Cole led a team study on TV violence in the 1990s that found U.S. network television programming was becoming somewhat less violent, while the number of __________ had increased dramatically.

Accepted Answer

The question states that the TV violence was becoming somewhat less, so it is unlikely that talk shows or game shows (which are typically non-violent) would have increased dramatically. Cooking shows were not as popular in the 1990s as they are now, so it is also an unlikely choice. "Shockumentary" reality-based specials, however, were becoming increasingly popular in the 1990s and often featured graphic or violent content. Therefore, D is the most likely choice.

Question 17

The uses-and-gratifications branch of research makes which of the following claims?

Accepted Answer

The uses-and-gratifications branch of research claims that people use the media actively for their own purposes. This suggests that individuals are not passive receivers of media content, but rather actively select and engage with media for their own specific reasons and goals.

Question 18

In the 1970s, media scholar Stuart Hall developed the encoding/decoding model as a response to the dissatisfying findings of __________ research.

Accepted Answer

Stuart Hall developed the encoding/decoding model as a response to the dissatisfying findings of media-effects research. Media-effects research focused on the direct and unilateral effects of media messages on audiences, without taking into account the active role that audiences can play in interpreting and decoding those messages. The encoding/decoding model proposed by Hall emphasized the importance of understanding the production, circulation, and reception of media texts as a complex and dynamic process shaped by social and cultural factors, including power relations and discursive practices.

Question 19

Reception analysis has been criticized for __________.

Accepted Answer

Reception analysis has been criticized for ascribing too much agency and activity to audiences, which some critics argue is unrealistic and downplays the power dynamics at play in media consumption. The other options are not accurate critiques of reception analysis.

Question 20

__________ usually involves total control of the transmission of information, often without the audience knowing who is controlling the message.

Accepted Answer

Propaganda is a form of communication that involves the dissemination of information, ideas, or opinions for the purpose of influencing or manipulating public opinion or behavior. It often involves total control of the transmission of information, often without the audience knowing who is controlling the message.

Quiz 13: Media Theory and Research