Media Effects

First Edition

W. James Potter - University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

Courses:
Media Effects | Research Methods in Mass Communication

June 2013 | 400 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Media Effects offers students an in-depth examination of the media's constant influence on individuals and society. W. James Potter frames media's effects in two templates: influence on individuals and influence on larger social structures and institutions. By positioning the different types of effects in the forefront, Potter helps students understand the full range of media effects, how they manifest themselves, and the factors that that are likely to bring these effects into being. Throughout the book, Potter encourages students to analyze their own experiences by searching for evidence of these effects in their own lives, making the content meaningful on a personal level.

PART I: ORGANIZING THINKING ABOUT MEDIA EFFECTS

1. Why Study Media Effects?

2. Defining Key Ideas

3. What is a Media Effect?

4. Media Influence

5. Media Theories

PART II. TYPES OF MASS MEDIA EFFECTS ON INDIVIDUALS

6. Physiological Effects

7. Cognitive Effects

8. Belief Effects

9. Attitude Effects

10. Affective Effects

11. Behaviorial Effects

PART III. TYPES OF MACRO-LEVEL EFFECTS

12. Macro Level Effects on the Public

13. Macro Level Effects - Institutions

14. Macro Level Effects - Society, Culture, and Mass Media

IV: THE BIG PICTURE

15. Big Picture

16. Springboard

Good basic text. Will include a chapter for my course readings.

Dr Kjetil Rødje

Media, Cognition & Communication Dept, University of Copenhagen

May 26, 2015

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Great BA book for students in Communication Studies/Science. I highly recommend it.

Dr Todd Graham

Journalism Department, Groningen University (RuG)

April 16, 2015

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Good general reading for students. Additional papers sometimes not easy to integrate. Good charts.

Professor Andreas Fahr

Communication and Mass Media Research, University of Fribourg

March 22, 2015

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This book comprehensively discusses various theories on media effects. My students would find this book vary informative and educational.

Dr Jung Woo Lee

Institute for Sport, Physical Education & Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh

February 7, 2014

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Did not meet the needs of the Media & Society course I was teaching, the Potter Media Literacy text was more appropriate.

Mrs Bethney Wilson

Communication Dept, University of Kentucky

September 16, 2013

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The book is really comprehensive and useful, but I felt it was not as easy to ready as the text that I chose for my media course.

Dr Bradley Bond

Communication Studies Dept, University of San Diego

August 5, 2013

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An outstanding and comprehensive, jargon free introduction to media effects research. Written in a no nonsense, accessible style. The Media Effects Templates outlined in the text are a great tool to keep students focused on core issues

Mr Kenneth Sloane

Dept of Creative Media, Dundalk Institute of Technology

March 12, 2013

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The volume is a perfect introduction to the broad field of Media research. The very complex discipline is presented in a very thoughtful manner allowing undergraduates a rather smooth start.

Dr Stefan Zimmermann

Geography, University of Osnabruck

July 18, 2012

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course was changed to usability

Dr Carie Lambert

School Of Arts Humanities, University of Texas at Dallas

July 4, 2012

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Very interesting text with a useful student friendly approach

Ms Ciara O'Sullivan

Media and Communcations, Templemore College of Further Education

June 12, 2012

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Key features

KEY FEATURES

Comprehensive: This book covers the full range of media-influenced effects by approaching them conceptually, providing students with a complete understanding of each concept.
Engaging: Keeping the focus on the effects students are most likely to encounter in their own lives, instead of on history of theories and methods, this book is highly practical for students and provides them with insights they can use.
Organized: Using two Media Effects Templates for guidance, students can confidently navigate through the material without getting lost or overwhelmed. The templates easily divide the effects into individual or larger group influences.
Extended examples: By providing numerous examples of media effects in narrative anecdotes throughout the text, the book illuminates key ideas about how media influence people and how those effects show up in everyday life.
Exercises: Each chapter concludes with a list of review questions to test readers' comprehension of main ideas in the chapter and provides opportunities for critical thinking that stimulates a deeper analytical examination of issues.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Brief TOC

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

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Media Effects

Sample Materials & Chapters

Sage College Publishing

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