Media Psychologist

Media Psychologist

What is Media Psychology?

Media psychology is branch of psychology that focuses on the relationships between media and human behavior. Basically, professionals in this field study how people interact with media and each other due to media influence. This field of study can be used to determine how the media affects us and how we perceive certain elements of the media. The history of media psychology actually began back in the 1950's, when television was becoming popular. However, psychologists were more focused on children and television viewing at the time. Research began to be conducted to determine how television viewing affected a child's reading skills. Later, researchers also began to study if children watching violent television were more likely to imitate violence or exhibit anti-social behavior.
In 1987, Division 46 - the Media Psychology Division - of the American Psychological Association was created. Media psychologists, on the other hand, took this as an opportunity to study violence in the media and how it affected people.

Today, however, the field of digital media is growing at an exponential rate, and the field of media psychology is growing right along with it. Media psychologists are now not only concerned with television and its effects, but also all of the new media forms that have cropped up in recent years, such as the internet and cellular phone technology.

Why Do We Need Media Psychology?

We are a media-centric society today, many of us thrive on and need media in our live in one form or another. The question that media psychologists are trying to answer is just how it affects us. Some types of media - like newscasts reporting violent events - often affect most of us negatively. The field of media psychology can be used to help lessen the negative impact of some types of media, making it less stressful.
Media psychology studies can also be used to help create more positive media experiences as well, such as enjoyable television shows. Marketing and advertising companies can also use media psychology studies to help create more powerful ads, which can help keep the economy chugging along.

Today's society is spending more time in front of televisions and surfing the internet, partly because of the increased availability of these types of technology. First of all, it helps people adjust to the rapidly growing technological world.[1]

What does psychology have to do with media?

In academic discussions of mass media, psychology has long provided concepts, techniques, and theories of its function. Psychology, for example, brings cognitive theories to media studies. Such theories look at the interactions between receivers and the media.

What psychologists have discovered about media and people is varied, and the research has really just begun. Some psychologists explore the messages we see and hear and the effects those messages have on people. For instance, psychology has been studying the way women are portrayed on television. Women on television are generally very, very thin. Some psychologists have done research that suggests that the thin women on television make a stereotype that dictates that women should be thin, and if real-life women have different body sizes they do not feel good about themselves. Not seeing Asian-Americans on television keeps such people invisible in the mainstream of society. [2]

Sources; [1] [2]

Categories: Psychologist