Fundamental Theories in Media Psychology

Media Psychology is an important and growing specialty in psychology. Fundamental theories in general psychology are essential in forming the necessary foundation for the professional practice of media psychology.

Theories in Media Psychology

Source: Bernard J. Luskin, with permission

Theories in psychology, adapted and applied to pictures, graphics, and sound through technology influence perception and thereby affect behavior. Each theory is complex, requires in-depth study, and is an important area for continuous research. Some argue that artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), cobotics, social media, telemedicine, public policy, public relations, advertising, marketing, and influences in media communications comprise a cultural game changing effect in our culture as they converge through media psychology and technology.

Depth in understanding of fundamental theories in general psychology, applied to media achieves the most effective outcomes. My view is that too many media psychology research, practitioner, and teaching faculty narrowly focus on one specialty or another because of personal interest. Unique specialties are obviously important. However, emphasis on foundational theories in psychology, applied to media through technology, is essential for full understanding, in the same way that these same theories need to be studied and applied in clinical psychology.

Comprehensive understanding of the following 12 theories is essential when applying psychology in media and technology in shaping cultural rituals, pastimes, and social behaviors.

Effective application of media psychology requires comprehensive understanding of:

Attention. “Pay attention” has valuable meaning requiring focus and concentration. The study of attention is extensive and vital.

Addiction. The uncontrollable negative or positive urge to do something that is difficult to manage or stop can be an outcome of media influence on behavior.

Emotion. Understanding state of mind and feelings deriving from one’s circumstances, mood or relationship is necessary to understand or manage anger, fear, loneliness, and jealously.

Empathy. Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.

Persuasion. The ability to influence individuals by argument, entreaty, or example is a key feature of media communication.

Psychovisualization. The ability to create mental images helps focus one’s mind on an objective.

Presence. Projecting immediacy and a sense of being present is required for “focus of attention.”

Violence. Understanding behaviors involving excessive force is requisite in media psychology.

Repetition. Repeating something, i.e., the recurrence of action or events, reinforces behaviors and enhances memory.

Memory. The ability to recall directly is a precondition in managing behavior.

Color. Visual perception of such categories as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and more, influences behavior.

Sound. Positively produced sound, as opposed to noise, affects how one see’s color, remembers, and feels in and about situations, and influences behavior.

The Black Swan Theory

Source: Matteo Indelicato with permission

Application of media psychology has become pervasive in influencing human behavior. Today’s worldwide technology saturation is part of what may be called a black swan effect in manipulating human behavior. The black swan effect describes dramatic events that go far beyond present conditions and that have increasing and extraordinary consequences or benefits.

Media psychology manipulation through technology adds an accelerating engine influencing motivated reasoning, shaping events and issues affecting the future. It has been said that the most significant time that a fish notices the water is when it is gone. The present media communications flood is so globally pervasive that the black swan effect analogy applies.

You cannot escape it

Source: LuskinInternational, with permission

As we consider the growing nature of the mediaverse, we realize how powerful media communications has become. Space travel, the Space Force, recent developments in space law, super technology and more confirm the reality of visions that were previously only thought of as science fiction. These phenomena are real, and we are only at the water’s edge in media psychology. Media psychology today is a recognized academic, research, and practice specialty in psychology. American Psychological Association, Media Psychology Division 46, and the APA Society for Media Psychology and Technology, focus on research and practice in Media Psychology. The need for qualified researchers and scholar/practitioners is increasingly important.

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In 431 BCE, Thucydides, Greek author of The History of the Peloponnesian War, is reputed to have said, “A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking being done by cowards and its fighting done by fools. (Warner, 1968)

Research and practice in the understanding of media effects is fundamental in 21st century media literacy. There is growing professional opportunity for scholar-practitioners trained in media psychology programs that build solid, knowledge-based foundations in understanding the many mediacentric patterns of belief and behavior. The window of opportunity for colleges and universities to successfully launch new programs in media psychology is open.

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Special thanks: Dr. Toni Luskin for editorial and publishing assistance and Drs. Nathan Long, President, Devin Byrd, Dean, Academic Affairs, Saybrook University, and Mathew Nehmer, President, Colleges of Law, for insights and encouragement.

Luskin Learning Psychology Series No.. 57

Please send comments and suggestions to: Bernie@LuskinInternational.com