Courses

Psychology (PSYC) 315

Psychology and the Mass Media (Revision 3)

Revision 3 closed, replaced by current version.

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Delivery Mode:Individualized study with online enhancements.

Credits:3

Area of Study: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

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Overview

This course introduces the psychological theories, principles, and research relevant to mass communication and the mass media. Several areas of application are also discussed in the course: violence on television programmes, advertising, news and politics, public information programming, and entertainment. As you work through the course, think about your own professional practices and how these psychological principles might apply in your field of study or work. The course also discusses the implications of psychology and the mass media for parents, consumers, educators, and researchers.

Outline

Part 1: Introduction to the Course

Unit 1: Background to the Course

Part 2: Psychological Theories

Unit 2: Persuasion: Changing Attitudes and Behaviours
Unit 3: Persuasion Theories

Part 3: Applications

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

Part 4: Conclusions

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. (2008). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century (3rd ed.). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Taylor and Francis Group.

Other Features

Online components are optional.

Other Materials

The course materials include a reading file, student manual, study guide, and assignment manual.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 3, July 30, 2008.