Publications
Fan Reactions to Athlete Activism “Stick to Sports”
One of the most consistent and prominent expectations of sports fans regarding non-sports related topics is that politics and activism should remain separate from the games they love so much. Yet, there appears to be a recent influx of athletes ignoring this hope of some fans, with the subsequent responses being quite passionate. This chapter outlines the current research on exactly how and why those responses manifest the way they do, as well as who responds in what ways. In addition, the chapter also discusses how the notion that sports and politics do not mix is inappropriate given the long relationship between the two, as well as how social media has helped amplify this relationship. Lastly, areas where the literature currently lacks and directions for future are discussed.
Adolescents’ modern media use and beliefs about masculine gender roles and norms
In the current study, the use of television (including Netflix or other streaming services), video games, and YouTube is examined for associations with beliefs about masculine roles and norms within a diverse sample of 307 13- to 18-year-olds from the United States using cultivation theory as the theoretical foundation. Heavy users of television, video games, and YouTube outscored lighter users on endorsement of views of masculinity that favor emotional detachment, dominance, toughness, and/or avoidance of femininity for boys and girls in the sample. For boys only, heavy exposure to violence in favorite games also played a role. Implications for the continued relevance of cultivation theory in the modern media environment are discussed.
Binge-Watching as a Predictor of Narrative Transportation Using HLM
This study explores the changing state of television by measuring binge-watching and its association with narrative transportation, using longitudinal data. The analysis based on a Hierarchical Linear Modeling found that the amount of binge-watching had a positive logarithmic association with transportation—the effect power lessens as binge-watching rate increases. Further, one’s typical binge frequency weakened the relationship between viewing session length and transportation. Overall, more frequent binge-watching reduces its effect power on transportation. Implications for theory and industry are also discussed.
Ritualistic versus Instrumental Viewing
First introduced by Alan M. Rubin, the terms ritualistic and instrumental viewing are used to describe how various audiences consume television within the framework of the uses and gratification paradigm. Ritualistic viewing is associated with more habitual and passive use, like viewing for companionship and out of boredom. Instrumental viewing involves watching television more purposefully and selectively, often for affective motivations or information seeking. Rubin's concepts are still used today to examine emergent media technologies that enhance or alter traditional television viewing.
Early adolescents’ views of media ratings in the context of a media literacy program in the U.S
Ratings and labels that warn audiences of sensitive content in media are largely in existence due to concern about potential media impact on young audiences. Largely absent from the research to date, however, are the voices of young people themselves on whether they find media ratings practices to be fair, accurate, and effective. Like many features of the media landscape, the current ratings systems may be taken for granted in the absence of media literacy education that specifically calls for their analysis and critique. In this qualitative study, 58 early adolescents provide open-ended responses to a number of questions designed to measure their views about media ratings and labels used in the U.S. within the context of an in-school media literacy program. Responses show that students learned from the media literacy discussions, applying concepts introduced, using logical reasoning to support their views, and expressing varying levels of critique of current ratings systems. Implications for the ability of early adolescents to use ratings to regulate their own media use are discussed.
Disparaged dads? A content analysis of depictions of fathers in U.S. sitcoms over time
Social statistics show marked changes in roles and norms associated with fatherhood in U.S. society over time. This quantitative content analysis examines whether TV content has kept pace with such changes through the analysis of depictions of the father character and his interactions with children in the family-oriented situation comedy genre. In all, 578 scenes from 34 top-rated U.S. family-oriented sitcoms from 1980 through 2017 are examined to explore the depiction of the father character over time. Changes in the depiction of the father as foolish approached significance by decade but were not linear. No change occurred in proportion of humorous exchanges in which fathers were the butt of the joke. Interestingly, fathers interacted less frequently with children in key parenting behaviors, and such interactions became more likely to show the father as humorously foolish in some more recent decades compared with sitcoms from previous decades. Working class fathers were not found to be more foolishly depicted than fathers from other class positions. Implications for audiences through the lenses of social–cognitive theory and cultivation theory are discussed.
Debating How to Measure Media Exposure in Surveys
To answer many of the most pressing questions in the social sciences, researchers need reliable and valid measures of media exposure that can be implemented in surveys. Despite considerable effort, however, substantial disagreement remains about how best to measure this key concept. This chapter critically reviews the debate surrounding traditional frequency measures of exposure to “news” and contemporary list-based measures of political media exposure. It also evaluates the related debate over how best to capture the effects of media exposure with different observational research designs. Overall, the chapter finds that although substantial progress has been made in measurement and research design, both issues require more attention if scholars are to understand the many and varied effects of media exposure.
Violent video games do contribute to aggression
Throughout history, concern about the effects of exposure to violence in the media has circulated with the introduction and widespread adoption of many forms of media technology, including film, television, and the Internet. Video games seem to have spurred particularly anxious commentary and critique, likely attributable in large part to their interactive nature, technology that immerses the player in the action, and the notoriety of some of their most popular titles. How to measure aggression ethically as well as validly and reliably is perhaps the most difficult challenge that social scientists studying video game violence effects face. This chapter presents a select number of studies that exemplify some of the ways that social scientists have attempted to answer the important question of whether violent video games contribute meaningfully to aggression. It points out that studies are complex and often show effects that are not universal but often are contingent upon features of the game or the gaming experience or factors pertaining to the individual players themselves. The chapter includes details about how aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are measured and attempts to model the use of descriptions of the actual measures themselves in interpreting outcomes in place of broader claims.