Social Psychology and the Media

Paper Summary:

This paper examines three famous social psychological theories and attempts to find their proofs in a variety of media, including novels, magazine articles, print ads and tv shows. In addition to looking for proof, the author also attempts to come to a deeper understanding of the theories by examining how they function in their contexts.

From the Paper:

"Robert Zajonc's drive theory explains the audience effect, which is the effect that an audience has on a person performing a task. If the person is highly proficient at the task, doing it in front of an audience will induce them to perform much better at it than they would if they were alone. At the same time, an audience's effect on a person who is unfamiliar with, or not particularly adept at, a certain task will mean that they perform much worse than they ordinarily would. These disparate outcomes are due to the heightened arousal that a person will experience in front of other people, and this heightened arousal, caused by the stressful situation of being in front of others, will either spur us on if we feel sure if success, or inhibit us if we fear failure."

Sample of Sources Used:

• America's Beef Producers Advertisement (2007 July). Men's Health, p. 9.
• Apatow, Judd. (Producer). (1999). Freaks and Geeks. [DVD]. Shout! Factory
• Channel 4, Britain. The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair. 23 June 2007.
• Danoff, Douglas. (2007, July). Sex With Someone New (Every Night!) Men's Health, p. 128
• Did 'Saturday Night Live' Expose Ashley Simpson's Extra Help? Retrieved 2 July 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-10-24-simpsonsnl_x.htm

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