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Baran Book Cover
Introduction to Mass Communication, 2/e
Stanley J. Baran

Mass Communication Research and Effects

Glossary

aggressive cues model  of media violence; media portrayals can indicate that certain classes of people are acceptable targets for real-world aggression
catharsis  theory that watching mediated violence reduces peopleís inclination to behave aggressively
causal relationships  the direct impact of one or more variables on one or more other variables
content analysis  the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the content of communication
control group  subjects in an experiment who do not encounter the independent variable
correlation  the strength of relationship between two or more variables
dependent variable  phenomenon whose change as a result of manipulation of the independent variable is measured
desensitization  the idea that viewers become more accepting of real-world violence because of its constant presence in television fare
early window  the idea that media give children a window on the world before they have the critical and intellectual ability to judge what they see
environmental incentives  in social learning theory, the notion that real-world incentives can lead observers to ignore negative vicarious reinforcement
error term  see margin of error
estimated sampling error  see margin of error
ethnographic research  naturalistic examinations of audiences in specific and natural places
experimental conditions  the groups in an experiment who are confronted with variations in the independent variable
experiments  a research method where the manipulation of variables is employed to demonstrate the presence of causal relationships
field experiment  experiment conducted in subjectsí actual environments in the course of normal social events
generalizability  the question of applying demonstrated causal relationships to the larger, real-world environment
Hawthorne effect  when participation per se in an experiment alters subjectsí behavior
historical research  objective examination of phenomena in their own time
independent variable  the phenomenon that is altered or varied in an experiment
margin of error  the predictable and built-in level of error that accompanies all samples of a given size
natural experiment  see field experiment
oppositional decoding  interpreting media content in a manner counter to its apparent intent
participant-observer research  studies where the researcher ìjoinsî a group or enters a setting and, while participating in its ongoing activities, chronicles those activities and the interactions surrounding them
participants  the subjects in an experiment
phenomenology  study of media content as it is, as it exists
population  in survey research, the group under scrutiny to which the results obtained from a sample are generalized
primary sources  in historical research, material contemporary to the object under investigation
qualitative research  research that examines aspects of the mass communication process in their natural contexts
random sample  a sample in which each member of a group has an equal chance of inclusion
research  the objective search for knowledge
respondents  participants in a survey
sample  in survey research, respondents drawn from the population who are considered representative of that population
secondary sources  in historical research, reports and material produced after the period in question that bear on it
stereotyping  application of a standardized image or conception applied to members of certain groups, usually based on limited information
stimulation model  of media violence; viewing mediated violence can increase the likelihood of subsequent aggressive behavior
stratified random sample  in survey research, dividing a population according to some important characteristic before each division is randomly sampled
survey  a research method used to describe phenomena and their relationships in the actual environment at a given time
unobtrusive observer  in ethnomethodological research, a researcher who is present at and observing a situation but who does not intrude on it
vicarious reinforcement  in social learning theory, the observation of reinforcement operates in the same manner as actual reinforcement
willing suspension of disbelief  audience practice of willingly accepting the content before them as real