Media psychology seeks to understand how the media and the growing use of technology impacts how people perceive, interpret, respond, and interacts in a media rich world. Media psychologists typically focus on identifying potential benefits and negative consequences of various forms of technology and promote the development of positive media.[1][2][3] This field of psychology investigates the types of psychological impact on humans caused by a wide range of media such as social media, online education, virtual classrooms, entertainment consulting, traditional media interviews, in providing on camera expertise, virtual and augmented reality therapies, consumer products, brand development, marketing, advertising, product placement and game theory.
-------------------------------------------------
Academic discipline[edit]
Media psychology is a specialized area of psychology that emerged as an academic and professional discipline in response to the expansion of media and technology and the demand for research needed to explain the potential impact on human welfare. Psychology is fundamental to understanding the influence of individuals and groups on the integration of technology in our society.[4] In general, this field attempts to encompass the full range of human experience of media-—including developmental, cognition, and behavioral—using extensive research that contains numerous empirical and qualitative studies.[5] It recognizes the that people are not just passive consumers of media, but active producers and distributors as well.[citation needed] Media include all forms of mediated communication, such as pictures, sound, graphics, content and emerging technologies. Media include all forms of mediated communication, such as pictures, sound, graphics, content and emerging technologies.
Media psychology derives from multiples disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, political science, computer science, communications, and international relations. As a result, it provides a large realm of opportunities for conducting valuable research.[5]
Media psychology promotes research about the effects of media to enrich the teaching, training, and practice of media psychology. As well, new findings in researched can be incorporated into the development of new media across a wide array of applications, ranging from business and entertainment to education and healthcare. Media psychology also contributes to expanding the general public’s understanding of psychology and how to effectively disseminate key research to the public through media channels. Media psychology is not a clinical degree; however media psychology is relevant to clinicians who employ technology to expand the availability of therapeutic resources.
An executive summary of the task force study on psychology and new technologies conducted by Bernard Luskin and Lilli Friedland is available on the Society for Media Psychology and Technology, APA Division 46 website. Research revealed twelve major areas in which media psychology is fundamental:[6][7]
1. Writing about media or performing as expert guests on various media
2. Consulting with media personnel
3. Researching ways to improve all forms of media
4. Making new technologies related to media more effective and user friendly
5. Using new technology in media to enhance the practice of clinical psychology
6. Most areas of education or training including delivery by traditional, blended and online methods
7. Developing media standards
8. Working in commercial fields
9. Studying the sociological, behavioral and psychological effects of media
10. Developing media materials for physically and developmentally challenged populations
11. Developing media materials for all underserved populations
12. Working with deviant or criminal populations
-------------------------------------------------
Theoretical perspectives[edit]
A vast number of approaches and perspectives can be implemented to design experiments and conduct research in media psychology. For instance, with the social perspective, research focuses on the types of media that involve topics of violence, race, gender, and body image.[8] As well, it can also extend research to areas of advertising, politics, various other social issues.[8]
The developmental perspective is another approach to analyzing media psychology, which most specifically uses research to examine effects of media and technology on human development.[9]For instance, numerous research has investigated the effect of media violence on children.[9]
Research using the sociocultural perspective helps to investigate the influence of media and the response to sociocultural expectations.[10] In particular, this perspective places an emphasis on children, minorities and acculturation issues, and disfigured populations.[10]
Media psychologists can also use the cognitive perspective to investigate how various stimuli from media and technology can impact perception, memory, and cognitive process. Research based on this perspective includes experiments such as investigating camera angles influence the judgments of videotaped police interrogations.[11]
Recently evolutionary psychology perspectives have been applied to areas such as news values and media naturalness.[12][13]
-------------------------------------------------
Common methodology[edit]
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful to identifying media effects by lights up various brain structures that respond to media stimuli. The method reveals brain structures that are influenced by various aspects of certain media and technology.[14]
Furthermore, the eye-tracking procedure is a type of methodological approach that tracks and records eye-movement patterns using specialized an instrument.[15] Using this procedure where the eye frequently move and how long the eye prolongs gaze towards a stimuli of media or technology.[15]
Numerous studies have investigated the effects of media by measuring reactions of behavior and self-reported responses using standardized scales and assessments. For example, psychologistLouis Leon Thurstone developed scales for the measurement of attitudes in response to movies about the highly debated research of Payne Fund Studies.[16]
Other popular scales have been use to evaluate attitudes and opinion of varying issues. Some of the scales include, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale,[17] Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale,[18]Objectified Body Consciousness Scale,[19]
-------------------------------------------------
Key findings[edit]
Body image[edit]
A meta-analysis of 204 studies revealed findings that "thin-ideal" media effects are generally minimal and limited to those with preexisting body dissatisfaction.[14] The evidence further did not support substantive links between media use and eating disorder symptoms.[14]
Aging[edit]
A correlational study investigated the effects of promoting in mainstream media that the self-worth of women connected to maintaining youthful represents the ideal beauty and that aging is undesirable.[20] Researchers conducted an experiment using 311 undergraduate female students to examine the variable of internalized ideas of ideal beauty as youthful and thin in relation to anti-aging attitudes.[20] Participants self-report the measures of internalized attitudes of ideal beauty portrayed by the media and their attitudes towards elder adults. The study found that higher levels were internalization for ideal beauty was significantly related to more negative attitudes towards elderly.[20] This suggests that media portrayals of ideal beauty may influence the perpetuation of negative attitudes toward the elderly.[20]
Media literacy[edit]
A quasi- experimental study evaluated how implementing a media literacy in the curriculum of adolescence would influence their attitudes of sexual portrayals in the media and decision made about sex.[21] The study involved 992 adolescent participants who were either enrolled in the media literary training or had not received any media literacy training. The analysis shows that participants who were in the media literacy training were more likely to recognize the media effects on teenagers and report that the sexual portrayals in the media were not accurate depictions of teen sexual behavior. Furthermore, despite the sexual portrayals, the participants with media literacy were more likely than the control group to accept the view that teenagers often practice abstinence.[21]
-------------------------------------------------
Research trends[edit]
Early work in media psychology concentrated on the impact of the media on the user, which is known as 'media effects.' In specific, media psychologist have had a particular concern for the impact on children of mass media programming and advertising The book, Media Effects, provides an early overview from this perspective.[22]
Furthermore, another trend of research explores media content that possess that dominant views, regarding opinions of sex and gender, certain professions and social classes, race, ethnicity and culture; and how it may be perpetuated through mass media as a form of ‘normality’.[23]
The proliferation of new technologies created a broader topic of interest that investigates how the rapid expansion and increase of technology moderate on social connectivity, interpersonal, social behaviors, and individual and collective agency.[24] For instance, there have been studies investigating the effects of text messaging in correlation to interpersonal interaction.[25]
Media studies is the field of research and media psychology is the behavioral discipline where applied psychology is evolving this new field. The first Ed.D. program in Media Studies and M.A., Ph.D programs in Media Psychology were launched in 2002 by Dr. Bernard Luskin. These programs ignited a series of college and university programs that have started during the past decade. Media Psychology is a significant and growing area of specialization.
-------------------------------------------------
Code of ethics[edit]
Because media psychology branches from the larger field of psychology, which is highly structured in the APA Code of Ethics, it must also follow ethical codes and try to prevent issues that may occur in the field. As well, the vast number of roles that it plays in society requires that there exist rules of regulation that enforce ethical conduct. Thus far, there are several regulations in the APA Code of Ethics that help guide media psychologists to make ethical decisions. For example, section 5 and 5.04 both addresses issues of media presentation:
.5.01 Avoidance of False or Deceptive Statements (a) Public statements include but are not limited to paid or unpaid advertising, product endorsements, grant applications, licensing applications, other credentialing applications, brochures, printed matter, directory listings, personal resumes or curricula vitae or comments for use in media such as print or electronic transmission, statements in legal proceedings, lectures and public oral presentations and published materials. Psychologists do not knowingly make public statements that are false, deceptive or fraudulent concerning their research, practice or other work activities or those of persons or organizations with which they are affiliated.
.04 Media Presentations When psychologists provide public advice or comment via print, Internet or other electronic transmission, they take precautions to ensure that statements (1) are based on their professional knowledge, training or experience in accord with appropriate psychological literature and practice; (2) are otherwise consistent with this Ethics Code; and (3) do not indicate that a professional relationship has been established with the recipient.
These issues are becoming more increasingly important as more psychologist use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkIn, and personal websites to market their services. In general media and technology has also impacted and changed the field of psychology as the social media network and the Internet begin to blur the lines between personal and professional information.[26] As well, it has been gradually occurring that clinicians are turning more to social media networks and online search engines to verify information about their clients to provide better services of psychotherapy.[26]
Currently, the clinicians are working towards creating social media policies that provide guidelines for appropriate interactions between clinicians and their clients.[26] The social media policies aims to outline proper conduct for using information upon the internet. As well, it suggests that information about the policies must be included in the informed consent given before treatment. The guidelines aim to address issues of the following: “clinician’s posting of status updates, management of friend or contact requests from clients, whether a clinician responds differently to these requests if they come from current versus terminated clients, clarification that a clinician’s presence on a consumer review site is not a request for a testimonial, and whether the clinician uses search engines to obtain information about clients in her care.”[27]
-------------------------------------------------
APA Media Psychology Division 46 Task Force Report[edit]
The Division was initially devised to bring awareness to the developing field of media psychology to increases the amount of research in the area as well as to establish more university programs in media psychology. The mission of the organization is to advance psychology in the practice and science of media communications and technology. The Society is a community of researchers, psychologists and other mental health providers, consultants, educators and communications professionals actively involved with all forms of traditional and evolving media and emerging technologies. The Society supports the study and dissemination of information related to the impact of the media on human behavior, as well as the development of media literacy essential to the public and professionals. The Division's objectives are to:
•Support research that enhances the understanding of the impact of media technologies and the effectiveness of media and technology to transmit information and influence behavior
•Develop a community for the discussion and development of theoretical frameworks for the study and practice of media psychology
•Support the development and use of positive and prosocial media and technologies
•Support efforts to educate the public and professionals in media and technological literacy and digital citizenship
•Facilitate the interaction between psychology and media representatives to encourage a fair and accurate representation of the science and practice of psychology
•Encourage the effective and ethical uses of media to inform the public about the science and profession of psychology and the impact of media and technology on individuals and society
•Prepare psychologists to interpret psychological research to the lay public and to other professionals
•Enrich and encourage the teaching, training, and practice of media psychology
•Encourage adherence to APA ethical standards and guidelines in the use of media. The Division has liaisons with the APA Education, Practice, Science, and Public Interest Directorates.
-------------------------------------------------
See also[edit]