Question 1

Which of the following is not a common characteristic of private or proprietary mass media research?

Accepted Answer

Private or proprietary mass media research is generally more applied than theoretical, meaning it tries to find practical solutions to real-life problems or needs, such as creating more effective advertising. It relies on the scientific method to reach conclusions, and it is conducted for a business, corporation, or political campaign.

Question 2

Which line of research helps to explain why Midwesterners started to rank shark attacks as a problem after the 1975 release of the movie Jaws and its subsequent press coverage?

Accepted Answer

Agenda-setting theory suggests that the media has the power to influence the importance of certain issues in the public's mind. The hype surrounding Jaws and its coverage in the media may have contributed to the perception that shark attacks were becoming a widespread problem, even in areas where they were previously uncommon.

Question 3

The major research in the area of cultivation effect grew from the attempts of ______ to make generalizations about the impact of televised violence.

Accepted Answer

The major research in the area of cultivation effect grew from the attempts of George Gerbner and his colleagues to make generalizations about the impact of televised violence.

Question 4

If someone has never been the victim of a violent crime and lives in an area that has very low rates of violent crime, yet still feels he or she is at a high level or risk for such crimes after watching a lot of Law & Order, this might be an example of ______.

Accepted Answer

The cultivation effect is the theory that heavy television viewing can create an exaggerated belief in a scary world by cultivating a heightened sense of fear and insecurity. In this scenario, the person's belief that they are at a high level of risk for violent crime is likely due to the influence of the constant portrayal of violent crime on shows like Law & Order.

Question 5

Which kind of research involves systematically coding and measuring media content?

Accepted Answer

Content analysis involves systematically coding and measuring media content. Experiments involve manipulation of independent variables, focus group interviews involve group discussions, surveys involve asking questions to a sample population, and political economy involves analyzing the political and economic structures that influence media content.

Question 6

Which kind of research method reveals correlations between two variables?

Accepted Answer

Surveys are designed to gather data on a large sample of individuals and are well-suited for identifying correlations between two variables. Surveys can ask respondents about their attitudes, experiences, behaviors, and opinions, and then use statistical analysis to explore relationships between these variables.

Question 7

The question "Why do we use the media?" is often asked under the ______ model.

Accepted Answer

The uses and gratifications model examines how and why audiences use media for their own purposes, rather than just being passive receivers of messages. So, the question "Why do we use the media?" fits under this model as it seeks to understand the motivations and gratifications people seek from their media consumption.

Question 8

What method is a researcher using if he or she watches a season of a television program and counts each time an act of violence is shown?

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using content analysis, which involves systematically studying and quantifying the content of media or other forms of communication. In this case, the researcher is specifically counting instances of violence in a television program. The other options listed (experiment, textual analysis, survey, focus group) do not accurately describe the method being used in this scenario.

Question 9

Just like science fiction movies of the 1950s and 1960s revealed our fears of nuclear bombs, after 9/11 one television series exposed our fear of terrorism. How did the fictional series 24 become notable?

Accepted Answer

The story line of 24 references the U.S. political debate on torture as an appropriate tactic to stop terrorism. While some critics praised the series for normalizing torture, there was also significant criticism of the show's portrayal of torture and its impact on public opinion regarding the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. However, the show's depiction of torture did contribute to the wider debate around its use in real-life situations.

Question 10

Which kind of research method employs a control group for comparison?

Accepted Answer

Experiments involve manipulating independent variables and observing their effects on the dependent variable while also including a control group that does not receive the manipulation. This allows for the comparison between the group that received the manipulation and the group that did not, which helps to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 11

The hypodermic-needle research model might be considered the opposite of which research model?

Accepted Answer

The hypodermic-needle research model suggests that media messages are directly and strongly injected into individuals' minds, leading to immediate and powerful effects. The minimal-effects model, on the other hand, proposes that media messages have limited effects and are contextualized within individual factors and social relationships. These two models are often seen as opposing perspectives in media research.

Question 12

Which of the following is not a legitimate technique for gathering quality research data?

Accepted Answer

Online question of the day polls are often unreliable as they do not use a representative sample size and suffer from self-selection bias. They may also have poorly worded questions and lack control over external factors that might affect the results. Therefore, they are not a legitimate technique for gathering quality research data.

Question 13

A mass media effects researcher might choose an experiment approach if he or she has ______.

Accepted Answer

An experiment approach is designed to show a cause-effect relationship between two variables. Therefore, a mass media effects researcher might choose an experiment approach if he or she has a desire to try to show a cause-effect relationship between two variables.

Question 14

What type of study looks at changes in a population over time?

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study looks at changes in a population over time by following the same individuals or groups over an extended period. This type of study allows researchers to observe how variables may change or impact behavior or outcomes.

Question 15

In experiments, subjects are picked for each group through ______, which simply means that each subject has an equal chance of being placed in either group.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment ensures that the groups are comparable and that any differences observed between the groups can confidently be attributed to the experimental manipulation rather than preexisting differences between the groups. Hypotheses are proposed explanations for a phenomenon, control groups are used for comparison to the experimental group, scientific method is the process of conducting scientific research, and surveys are a method of data collection.

Question 16

People often choose to expose themselves only to media outlets that express their views. What is this called?

Accepted Answer

Selective exposure and retention refers to the tendency of individuals to seek out and remember information that confirms their preexisting beliefs and attitudes, while avoiding or forgetting information that challenges their beliefs.

Question 17

A mass media effects researcher might choose a survey approach if he or she has a desire to ______.

Accepted Answer

A survey approach is best used for collecting information that applies to a large population. This method allows for a large sample size and can provide insights into the overall attitudes, behaviors, and opinions of a group. It is not the best method for trying to control variables, demonstrating cause-effect relationships, or observing people in tightly controlled situations or their own homes.

Question 18

Which of the following is not one of the steps in the scientific method listed in your textbook?

Accepted Answer

Presenting the proposed research problem to companies for funding is not one of the steps in the scientific method listed in the textbook. The scientific method typically involves identifying the research problem, reviewing existing research or theories related to the problem, determining an appropriate research method or design, collecting relevant data, analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions based on the results. Funding may be required for the research, but it is not considered a step in the scientific method.

Question 19

Which line of research has generally demonstrated that the mass media don't tell people what to think as much as they tell people what to think about?

Accepted Answer

Agenda-setting research has consistently shown that the media have a powerful influence on what issues people consider to be important or salient, but less so on shaping their specific opinions or beliefs about those issues. This finding is reflected in the popular adage that the media may not be successful in telling us what to think, but they are very successful in telling us what to think about.

Question 20

Which of the following is not one of the four steps identified as part of the social learning theory process?

Accepted Answer

The four steps identified in the social learning theory process are attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation. "Cultivation" is not one of the recognized steps in this process.

Quiz 15: Media Effects and Cultural Approaches to Research