Measuring Psychological Responses To Media Messages

by Annie Lang

Characterized by its multi-level interdisciplinary character, communication has become a variable field -- one in which the level of analysis varies. This has had important ramifications for the study of communication because, to some extent, the questions one asks are determined by the methods one has available to answer them. As a result, communication research is characterized by the plethora of both qualitative and quantitative approaches used by its practitioners. These include survey and experimental methods, and content, historical, and rhetorical analyses.
A variety of tools has been developed in cognitive psychology and psychophysiology which attempts to measure "thinking" without asking people how they do it. This book is devoted to exploring how these methods might be used to further knowledge about the process of communication. The methods chosen have all been used extensively in cognitive and experimental psychology. Each chapter in this book is designed to describe the history of the method being introduced, the theory behind it, how to go about using it, and how it has already been used to study some area of communication. The methods introduced here vary widely in terms of the amount of equipment and training needed to use them. Some require only theoretical knowledge and a paper and pencil; others require more elaborate hardware and software for implementation. These methods also vary widely in terms of what sorts of variables they can be used to measure. Some of them adapt quite readily to traditional communication variables like persuasion, attitude change, and knowledge; others are more applicable to process type variables such as attention, arousal, involvement, encoding, and retrieval.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Annie Lang is a self-taught award winning designer/author who published 29 decorative arts how-to instructional books with Easl Publications from 1995-2003. Her many licensed characters and project designs have appeared in a wide variety of painting and craft magazines and have been used on numerous commercially manufactured products and fabrics as well. She continues to actively support the Creative Arts Community which has played a key role in her home based business since 1986. Annie's whimsical characters and creative designs, which include everything from buglets to elves, have found their way into the international commercial marketplace and into the hearts of arts and crafts lovers worldwide.

After years of offering direct to consumer downloadable art images and projects, Annie has now turned to independent publishing ventures which include instructional drawing lesson ebooks, trace and transfer Linework Pattern books and most recently, authored and illustrated children's books based on her whimsical character art. You'll find her growing list of independently published work through Creatspace/Amazon Kindle Store posted on her www.annielangsbooks.com website.
Annie Lang currently resides in Grand Blanc, Michigan, very near the community where both she and her husband, grew up. Her growing family continues to provide her with limitless support, inspiration, and humor, which has always been reflected in her work.