Public Communication and Behavior

Public Communication and Behavior, Volume I is devoted to the study of communicatory behavior that has a public or social character. The book discusses an evaluation of the models used to evaluate television series; a synthesis of 1043 effects of television on social behavior; and TV news, priming, and public evaluations of the president. The text also describes the myth of massive media impact: savagings and salvaging, and a technique for assessing the impact of mass media violence on real-world aggressive behavior. Psychologists, sociologists, educators, journalists, and people involved in the study of child development will find the book invaluable.

Preface An Evaluation of the Models Used to Evaluate Television Series I. Introduction II. Sesame Street's Accomplishments III. Formative Evaluation and the CTW Production Model IV. Evaluating Models of Summative Evaluation V. Evaluation Results ReferencesA Synthesis of 1043 Effects of Television on Social Behavior I. Introduction II. Methods III. Results IV. Summary and Discussion References Additional References: Studies Coded for the Meta-AnalysisMore Than Meets the Eye: TV News, Priming, and Public Evaluations of the President I. Introduction II. A Theory of Priming III. Method IV. Experimental Tests of Priming V. Priming and Presidential Responsibility VI. Priming in Presidential Elections VII. Summary and Conclusions Technical Appendix ReferencesThe Myth of Massive Media Impact: Savagings and Salvagings I. Origins and Nature of the Myth II. Evidence Regarding Intended Mass Media Effects III. Evidence Regarding Unintended Mass Media Effects IV. Salvaging the Myth of Media Effectiveness V. Concluding Judgments ReferencesThe Found Experiment: A New Technique for Assessing the Impact of Mass Media Violence on Real-World Aggressive Behavior I. Introduction II. Comparison of the Found Experiment with Laboratory and Field Experiments III. A Paradigm for Investigating the Real-World Impact of Mass Media Stories IV. Eleven Found Experiments on the Impact of Antisocial Behavior Publicized by the Mass Media V. Summary of Results VI. Methodological Strengths VII. Methodological Limitations VIII. Summary of Methodological Strengths and Limitations IX. Future Research ReferencesIndex