Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Psychology (PSYC) 315
Psychology and the Mass Media (Revision 2)
Revision 2 closed July 30, 2008, replaced by current version.
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Delivery mode: Individualized study with online enhancements.
Credits: 3 - Social Science
Prerequisite: None. PSYC 289, PSYC 290, or an equivalent course is recommended but not required.
Centre: Centre for Psychology
PSYC 315 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Course website
Overview
This course introduces students to a range of psychological theories, processes, and principles in the context of the mass media. In addition, the application of these theories and principles to several prominent issues will be discussed. Such issues may include violence on television programmes, advertising, and news reporting. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon their own lives and apply the psychological principles they find useful to their work, study, or daily lives. As most scholarly work has been written on the mass medium of television, the material presented in this course will be over-represented in this area. The newest electronic technologies, e.g., computer communication on the Internet, will not be the focus of this course.
Outline
Unit 1: Background to the Course
Unit 2: Persuasion: Changing Attitudes and Behaviours
Unit 3: Persuasion Theories
Unit 4: Advertising
Unit 5: Children and the Media
Unit 6: News and Politics
Unit 7: Public Information Programmes
Unit 8: Entertainment
Unit 9: Violence in the Media
Unit 10: Conclusions
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 315, you must complete all of the assignments, achieve a mark of at least 50 per cent on the final examination, and achieve a composite course grade of at least "D" (50 per cent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Unit Quizzes (3 quizzes, 8% each) | Written Assignment | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24% | 40% | 36% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Harris, R. J. (2004). A cognitive psychology of mass communication (4th ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Perloff, R. M. (2003). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Other Features
Online components are optional.
Other Materials
The course materials include a reader, a student manual, a study guide, and an assignment manual.