Examples Examples of Researchof Research

Pornography Effects Pornography Effects Research: Donnerstein Research: Donnerstein

ParadigmParadigm Procedure:Procedure:

Subject and female confederateSubject and female confederate Told it’s a learning task under threat of Told it’s a learning task under threat of

punishmentpunishment Subject is learner first, then teacherSubject is learner first, then teacher

Part 1: Subject writes essayPart 1: Subject writes essay Confederate evaluates with shock and written Confederate evaluates with shock and written

feedbackfeedback Condition: positive vs. negative evaluationCondition: positive vs. negative evaluation

Intermission: Film previewIntermission: Film preview Condition: aggressive vs. aggressive erotic vs. erotic Condition: aggressive vs. aggressive erotic vs. erotic

vs. control filmvs. control film Part 2: Subject evaluates task performancePart 2: Subject evaluates task performance

Administration of shock to confederateAdministration of shock to confederate

Pornography Effects Pornography Effects Research: Donnerstein Research: Donnerstein

ParadigmParadigmR

Subjectpraised

O1Aggressive

RSubjectangered

O1Aggressive

RSubjectpraised

O1

Aggressiveerotic

RSubjectangered

O1

Aggressiveerotic

RSubjectpraised

O1Erotic

RSubjectangered

O1Erotic

RSubjectpraised

O1Control

RSubjectangered

O1Control

Pornography Effects Pornography Effects ResearchResearch

Pornography Effects Pornography Effects ResearchResearchDonnerstein & Berkowitz (1981)

Aggressive erotic:-Positive ending (victim enjoys)-Negative ending

Confederate:-male vs. female

Pornography Effects Pornography Effects ResearchResearchDonnerstein & Berkowitz (1981)

DEBRIEFING EFFECTS

Research on Third-person Research on Third-person PerceptionPerception

Example of research that embeds an Example of research that embeds an experiment into a surveyexperiment into a survey (c.f., class research project)(c.f., class research project) Respondents get different versions of a Respondents get different versions of a

questionnairequestionnaire Different stimulus messages presented to Different stimulus messages presented to

different groupsdifferent groupsWarning: Slides for this research contain text and audio-visual materials of a graphic violent and sexist nature.

Basic Third Person Basic Third Person ConceptsConcepts

The Third Person Perception (3pp):The Third Person Perception (3pp): ““Others are more affected by negative media Others are more affected by negative media

messages than I am”messages than I am”

The Social Distance Corollary:The Social Distance Corollary: ““The more different someone is from me, the The more different someone is from me, the

more they are affected by media messages”more they are affected by media messages”

Theoretical Theoretical Underpinnings of the Underpinnings of the

Third-person Third-person PhenomenonPhenomenon

Why do we see others as being more Why do we see others as being more affected by negative media messages than affected by negative media messages than ourselves?ourselves? Ego-enhancing motivational bias?Ego-enhancing motivational bias?

““I am better than you”I am better than you” ““I am less affected by negative media I am less affected by negative media

messages”messages” ““I am not as easy to manipulate as you”I am not as easy to manipulate as you”

Past Research on 3ppPast Research on 3pp

Research has found support for 3pp for a Research has found support for 3pp for a variety of negative content:variety of negative content: TV violence (Innes and Zeitz, 1988)TV violence (Innes and Zeitz, 1988) Pornography (Gunther, 1995: Rojas, Shah, & Faber, Pornography (Gunther, 1995: Rojas, Shah, & Faber,

1996)1996) Libelous news stories (Cohen et al., 1988; Libelous news stories (Cohen et al., 1988;

Gunther, 1991)Gunther, 1991) Product advertisements (Thorson & Coyle, 1994)Product advertisements (Thorson & Coyle, 1994) Negative political ads (Cohen & Davis, 1991)Negative political ads (Cohen & Davis, 1991) Several other forms of potentially harmful media Several other forms of potentially harmful media

contentcontent

Findings from a Findings from a Previous Study:Previous Study:

McLeod, Eveland, & Nathanson (1997)

Third-person Research: Third-person Research: ExampleExample

Eveland, Nathanson, Detenber & McLeod (1999). Eveland, Nathanson, Detenber & McLeod (1999).

Research Questions:Research Questions: Do perceived effects increase as comparison Do perceived effects increase as comparison

group gets more distance?group gets more distance? Based on logic of Ego Enhancement rationaleBased on logic of Ego Enhancement rationale

What if we expand the dimensions of social What if we expand the dimensions of social distance?distance? 1. Traditional: 1. Traditional:

UD students, Average AmericanUD students, Average American 2. Education:2. Education:

other college students, people your age with a high other college students, people your age with a high school education, people your age with a grade school school education, people your age with a grade school educationeducation

3. Age: 3. Age: 8 years younger, 4 years younger, same age, 8 years 8 years younger, 4 years younger, same age, 8 years

older, 40 years olderolder, 40 years older Does perceived impact increase as social distance Does perceived impact increase as social distance

increases along each of the dimensions?increases along each of the dimensions?

Third-person Research: Third-person Research: MethodsMethods

Participants:Participants: Participants:Participants:

359 U. of Delaware students359 U. of Delaware students

Stimulus:Stimulus: Different music lyrics embedded in Different music lyrics embedded in

different surveysdifferent surveys 1. Violent anti-social rap1. Violent anti-social rap 2. Misogynic anti-social rap2. Misogynic anti-social rap 3. Violent anti-social death metal3. Violent anti-social death metal 4. Misogynic anti-social death metal4. Misogynic anti-social death metal

Violent RapViolent Rap

“Out one night, Yo, just chillin’ with my crewwe were actin’ wild cuz I didn’t have nothing better to doGot a nine at my waist, Stay out of my face.You mess with me, Right here’ll be your resting place....”

-South Central Cartel

Misogynistic RapMisogynistic Rap

It’s late one night and I’m ready to dipCuz I’m kinda drunk with an ugly chickBig butt, big chest, and kinda stackedSix foot two and she’s also fat........Be my girl what? It ain’t all thatGot weed in your head, knock-kneed and fatGet some understanding, you’re just a skeezI’m out for booty and to be pleased........Get an ugly chick. -Too Live Crew

Violent Death MetalViolent Death Metal

“...Kill the preacher’s only son, watch the infant die. Bodily dismemberment, drink the purest blood Unrelenting need to kill, death upon you now. Anxiously awaiting the next in line.” -Slayer

Misogynistic Death MetalMisogynistic Death Metal

“...Shave her head and throw her down. That’s where she belongs--on the ground. She’s just an object for him to crush. Pound her head until it’s mush.” -Visceral Eviscerations

Third-person Study Third-person Study DesignDesign

RViolent

RapO1

RMisog.

RapO1

RViolent

Death MetalO1

RMisog.

Death Metal O1

Third-person Research: Third-person Research: ResultsResults

Agenda-setting Agenda-setting ResearchResearch

Cohen observes:Cohen observes: The power of the media is not to tell us what to The power of the media is not to tell us what to

think, but “what to think about”think, but “what to think about” Setting the public agendaSetting the public agenda

McCombs & Shaw (1972)McCombs & Shaw (1972) Use survey and content analysis to test AS Use survey and content analysis to test AS

hypothesishypothesis High correlation between media agenda and public High correlation between media agenda and public

agendaagenda Implication: Media coverage shapes our prioritiesImplication: Media coverage shapes our priorities

Raises the question: What is causal relationship?Raises the question: What is causal relationship?

Agenda-setting Agenda-setting ResearchResearch

To answer the causal question:To answer the causal question: Iyengar & Kinder (1987) conduct a series of Iyengar & Kinder (1987) conduct a series of

experimentsexperiments Published in book: News That MattersPublished in book: News That Matters

Subjects watch news for six consecutive Subjects watch news for six consecutive nightsnights News was edited by researchers:News was edited by researchers:

Experimental group gets selected storiesExperimental group gets selected stories E.g., stories about inadequacy of U.S. militaryE.g., stories about inadequacy of U.S. military

Control group gets neutral storiesControl group gets neutral stories Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms

control, civil rights and unemploymentcontrol, civil rights and unemployment

Agenda-setting Research: Agenda-setting Research:

Iyengar & Kinder (1987):Iyengar & Kinder (1987): Design:Design:

RNatural

NewscastO1

RExper.

newscastO1

Agenda-setting ResultsAgenda-setting Results

Agenda-setting Agenda-setting ResultsResults

Priming ResearchPriming Research

Priming is a related concept also studies by Priming is a related concept also studies by the Iyengar & Kinder experimentsthe Iyengar & Kinder experiments Priming: affecting the standards that Priming: affecting the standards that

audience uses to make judgments:audience uses to make judgments: Focus on a particular aspect of issue to provide Focus on a particular aspect of issue to provide

a framework for understandinga framework for understanding E.g., Presidential evaluationsE.g., Presidential evaluations

Is the election about foreign policy or the Is the election about foreign policy or the economy?economy?

Media agenda affects evaluationsMedia agenda affects evaluations Agenda-setting => Priming => Social evaluationsAgenda-setting => Priming => Social evaluations

Priming ResearchPriming Research

Iyengar & Kinder’s (1987) experiments also Iyengar & Kinder’s (1987) experiments also examine priming effect of media agenda on examine priming effect of media agenda on presidential evaluationspresidential evaluations Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms Topics: defense, inflation, pollution, arms

control, civil rights and unemploymentcontrol, civil rights and unemployment How does experimentally-inflated salience of How does experimentally-inflated salience of

issue on media agenda prime presidential issue on media agenda prime presidential performance evaluations?performance evaluations?

Priming ResearchPriming Research

Control group Experimental group

Importance of Issue-based Evaluation on Overall Evaluation of the President

Priming ResearchPriming Research

Priming ResearchPriming Research