Media Effects Research

Research Methods Employed in Media Effects Research

To examine the effects of media use and exposure, researchers use a variety of methodologies, including content analyses, controlled experiments, longitudinal surveys, naturalistic observations, meta-analyses, and more recently, neurocognitive analyses using tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related brain potentials. The research methodology selected depends on the type of questions media researchers are interested in studying. These methods are briefly discussed herein.

Content analysis is a well-established research method involving the systematic examination and subsequent quantitative description of specified elements of various media content. This type of analysis allows researchers to describe and make inferences about media messages and, when in light of theories of media influence, to predict effects of media content on audiences. Examples of content analyses include the analysis of television commercials during children’s programming, the depiction of female characters on video game cover inserts, and the presence and frequency of acts of aggression in film previews.

Controlled experiments are commonly employed in media effects research to determine the causal relationships between media exposure or use and related outcomes and to identify mediating or explanatory factors. In controlled experiments, researchers manipulate elements of media content and compare the reactions, attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of audiences exposed to messages with those elements to those exposed to messages without. Examples include comparing the effects of health messages containing fear appeals to comparable messages without fear appeals on audience’s self-efficacy and information-seeking behavior, or comparing viewers’ perceptions of political candidates and voting intentions after exposure to different political advertisements or news stories.

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