PSYCHOLOGY 1012 CBA Psychology in Social Media Mod 1 Complete Study Guide.Module One Introduction
We will assume there has to be a systematic way of
... [Show More] examining this very complex and diverse subject
matter; thus, we will begin the journey by examining the evolution of social media by looking at how
media is studied. One way to examine media from a psychological perspective is to integrate the
theoretical perspectives into the overall discussion. Let’s start by exploring how the media impacts
our perceptions, decision making, and behaviors.
By completing this module, you will master the following competencies:
• Evaluate theories of the psychological influences of social media.
• Examine how cultivation theory explains the effects of online
behavior.
• Examine how social cognitive theories relate to building relationships
within social media.
• Analyze how an individual behaves online through the socialization
theory.
• Examine how uses and gratification theory describes online
motivations.
• Analyze how the agenda-setting theory explains the structure of
online environments and revenue.
• Examine how individuals interpret others online through the schema
or script theory.
This module will review color key points in regard to:
• Evaluate the impact of social media on daily life.
• Analyze how social media impacts our attitudes and behavior.
• Analyze how individuals establish relationships online.
• Explore how social media affects the teaching and learning styles of
individuals.
• Examine how an individual’s access to information through social
media influences their health.
• Analyze how social media impacts children, adolescents, and their
families.
In this module we will consider national and global impact of various sources to be
explored include online networking, distance team building, and social media’s
impact within developmental perspectives. Please refer to the following articles for
further resources.
Additional Resources
Signed Networks in Social Media
Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype
Activation on Action
Social Media? Get Serious! Understanding the Functional Building Blocks of Social
Media
Theoretical Views Overview
One way to examine social media from a psychological perspective is to integrate the theoretical
perspectives into the overall discussion. There are several theoretical viewpoints which we'll explore in
a moment. This allows us to examine this important subject. The most prominent theoretical views to
understand this aspect of human behavior are cultivation, and social cognitive learning theories. Both
theories attempts to explain how frequent exposure to social medial might lead to changes in values,
beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
Theoretical Views Key Points
Cultivation theory implies that regular and frequent exposure to certain types of social
media information have an effect on a person's attitudes and behavior.
Social learning theory explains that we learn through observation.
Behavioral research relied on understanding and describing overt behavior and the relations
of stimuli on that behavior (external processes).Â
Social cognitive approach looks at the process by which humans learn through observation
and the process of decision making (internal processes).
Module 1 Lecture Notes
Slide 1
Title Page
Slide 2
One of the challenges of understanding the effects of social media on behavior is determining
how much interaction a person have and the type of social media content engaged/viewed. For
instance, if someone primarily YOUTUBE videos, does this watching of videos change the
person's world view, attitudes, or how the individual acts overall? Another example would be the
amount and type of online games. What effect does playing online violent video games several
hours a day have on a person, and does that effect change with age and maturity level? What we
are discussing overall is how the social media influences the common conceptions of reality.
Slide 3
According to Cultivation theory, regular and frequent exposure to certain types of social media
sites influences a person attitude and behaviors. This approach suggests that social media effects
occur like the slow buildup of formations on cave floors, which take their interesting forms after
eons of the steady dripping of limewater from the cave ceilings above.
Slide 4
Cultivation Theory Principles suggests that social media is responsible for shaping, or ‘cultivating’
users’ conceptions of social reality.
The combined effect of massive social media exposure by users over time subtly shapes the
perception of social reality for individuals and, ultimately, for our culture as a whole.
Slide 5
Cultivation Theory Principles suggests that social media is responsible for shaping, or ‘cultivating’
users’ conceptions of social reality.
The combined effect of massive social media exposure by users over time subtly shapes the
perception of social reality for individuals and, ultimately, for our culture as a whole.
Slide 6
According to social learning theory, we learn through observing others. Albert Bandura evolved a
psychological theory from the more prevalent behavioral school of thought to include the
cognitive processes related to learning and decision making. He looked at the process by which
humans learned through observation and the process of decision making (internal processes).
Understanding the purposes of overt behavior and the internal processes of thinking, learning,
and memory was only a part of Bandura’s theoretical views. He proposed a social cognitive
theory that describes human behavior as a product of the environment, personal (internal)
factors, and behavior. The three factors interact in a reciprocal fashion, which means that each
factor interacts with the other and influences each other.
Slide 7
According to the Social Cognitive Learning Theory Principles, we learn much of what we do
through observing and speaking with others (“models”), rather than through personal
experience
We form a cognitive image of how to perform certain behaviors through modeling, and use this
image as a guide for later behavior.
We decide which behaviors to keep, and when to use them, by using: [Show Less]