I get a lot of questions about career paths in media psychology, particularly among those thinking of pursuing a degree in the field. I certainly empathize with that confusion–and the desire to make sure someone will give you a job if you do all that work. Media psychology, as a new field, doesn’t offer up any quick and easy answers. It’s helpful to think about how to define media psychology broadly and then make it relevant to individual interests and goals. It the largest sense, media psychology is using psychological theory to understand how people use, consume, and produce media. It has applications to groups and individuals as well as nations. The word media is often assumed to be mass media, but media psychology looks at communication that is mediated by technology. Needless to say, the field paints with a pretty broad brush.
Some people start with their current or hoped-for career and then target their approach to the degree in a way that supports their needs. Someone who works with teens, for example, may be looking for ways to effectively communicate with or educate teens and therefore choose to focus on topics such as issues of developmental psychology, such as cognition, identity development, how teens are using technology, what narratives resonate, and how physical perceptions impact motivation and emotion. A designer or producer of media may focus on things such as perceptions, cognition, and how those are supported and challenged in different applications such as large screen/small screen. An educator may choose to focus on how different media applications interact with learning styles, multiple intelligences, engagement, self-efficacy, and individual strengths.
Other people start with a passion for an area and then seek a job that requires that knowledge set. For example, if you are skilled in using media to deliver factual information, there are roles in education (teaching teachers as well as teaching students), business communications (training internally as well as educating clients/customers), and healthcare (developing and promoting health education through media). Media psychology is relevant to advertising (for profit as well as nonprofit), applications and game developers.
Media psychology, like many other fields, requires some focus and specialization within areas of expertise. Much like a degree in any subject, from English to Economics (and I can’t speak the the hard sciences here, as I just don’t know), it gives you a good theoretical toolkit to apply to types of uses/development. But unlike a degree that is more vocationally oriented, such as education and teaching, there is not obvious immediate next step (like get a credential and teach elementary school.) To me, it makes the field very exciting. At the same time, it demands more of you to set your direction.
I’d be happy to talk about how any specific interests fit with my own experience in media psychology, as will most of my colleagues. There are different perspectives from different people, but we are all passionate about understanding how people and groups interact with media technologies and how that molds society. My own background has involved visual design, marketing, branding, country perceptions, health education, teaching, media messaging, and research on things like websites and digital games for kids. I love that it is always changing.
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Hello Dr. Rutledge,
I wanted to get your view on Media psychology in the area of distance learning. How closely do you think the two are related and do you believe that an individual working in the e-learning industry would benefit from a degree in Media Psychology?
I am closing in on a Masters degree in Instructional Design (Online Specialization) and I am now ready to take the big step to a PhD program. As e-learning specialist working in a sales training department I am always looking for new ways that my internal clients can learn online.
One of my potential options is a PhD in Media Psychology from Fielding Graduate University. I am interested in media psychology because of the neurological aspect that is covered, something that is missing in a PhD program in Education. The field of neuroscience as it relates to our understanding of learning will be a growing and exciting field in the next 10 years and I want to a part of the field. Already there is evidence to support as humans we create internal simulations in our brain when experiencing new information.( http://www.physorg.com/news152210728.html ) How blended learning can support our own internal simulations by tapping specific raw emotions is an area I would like to research. What do you think?
Thank you for your thoughts.
-Mike
michael_gambale@merck.com
cyberspacemike@gmail.com
Hi Mike,
Thanks for taking the time to write. First, full disclosure, I am adjunct faculty at Fielding and an alum, so my remarks regarding that program will not be entirely objective.
To speak to your first question, media psychology is absolutely related to distance learning. I do not have to tell you that learning theory, multiple intelligence theory and information delivery are based on cognitive, developmental, and biological psychology. Effective teaching is in part based on the ability to package and deliver material. But I believe an even larger part is based on the educators understanding of their students, ability to create a meaningful connection, create a sense of relevance, provide positive reinforcement, create support and boundaries (aka scaffolding al la Vygotsky), and promote engagement and self-efficacy. These are the psychological factors that create the motivation to learn; without desire, no learning will happen. These are especially important in a distance learning process because the platform allows a wider range of delivery in terms of media, but takes more creativity and effort to achieve the sense of presence and connection.
Media psychology is first and foremost about psychology. It begins with understanding what is happening with an individual. That includes the neurophysiology, where tremendous advances have added to our understanding (or misunderstanding as the case may be) of cognitive processes. I agree that this is a fertile and important area and one we ignore at our peril in education.
Media is best interpreted as mediated communication. Media psychology is not about media content as many assume, except in so far as it is reflective of the psychology behind the media. It is also not about appearing in the media, another common stereotype. (This is not to say that some psychologists who appear in the media are not knowledgeable about the psychology of the media, but that is not a prerequisite for appearing in the media—we don’t call financial experts or scientists who appear as experts in the media “media bond traders” or “media biologists.” That’s just silly.) Media psychology is about the way humans interact with technologies that filter or media information. Communications is a fancy word for the act of sending information from one source to another, whether it is a YouTube video, magazine advertisement, or phone call.
While the path to a PhD is lengthy and arduous, I believe it is worth the investment as long as you are able to study what you feel will add value to your career path (and is also interesting to you because you think about it A LOT!) Fielding’s program is unique in a few ways.
• It is the only PhD currently offered in media psychology, although there are certainly ways of creating a similar course of study in other institutions.
• It is a distributed learning program, which means you can manage it more easily while having a life (i.e. family, job, lawn to mow.)
• There is a tremendous amount of flexibility to drive your coursework exactly where you want it. While there are requirements, (different areas of psychology, ethics, research methodology, etc.) you can target each of these to your goals. (i.e. for social psychology you could focus on the social psychological implications of distance learning—group dynamics in online learning, etc.)
• Fielding has good depth in neuropsychology and in fact offers a certificate track for clinicians who want respecialization. In addition, ALL psychology faculty is available to work with students in the media psychology program. It doesn’t matter if they are on the “clinical side” or the “media side.” You can arrange to work with faculty individually if you have specific interests or in a group course.
• You will find a lot of faculty interested in pursuing different aspect of the psychology of distance learning, given their experience at Fielding.
• Fielding is an adult learning model. This means you have to provide a lot of your own direction and motivation. It also means that your fellow students are grown-ups and come from a wealth of experiences and expertise that make the program a rich place to collaborate and connect. (My favorite part, personally.)
I hope this is helpful. Your area of interest (blended learning, internal simulations and emotion) is right over the plate in cognitive psychology and sounds fascinating. I love the idea of mapping mental simulations. Good link! Thanks for sharing it.
Best,
Pam
Hey, I’m a high school learner (ATHLONE HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS’). I really wana know wat subjects are expected in University when you wana study Media Psychology?
Dear Cynthia,
Thank you for your question. Athlone High School for Girls looks like a wonderful place to attend school. If you want to study media psychology, then it’s very good to learn some psychology, sociology, good communication skills, design, and get some experience with media applications. As you develop your personal interests, you will be better able to target the specific areas of study that are most relevant.
I recommend starting with a broad view of psychology. When you are thinking about how people use, develop or are impacted by media, developmental psychology helps you to understand how people develop, change, and mature and the differences that makes in how they perceive the world. Cognitive psychology looks at how people think–both the physical nature of processing information of all kinds (words, images, sounds) through the senses, how that gets our attention, persuades us, and influences how we learn. It also looks at the very important issue of how people interpret or make meaning out of all that information based on our individual experiences and culture. Social psychology and sociology examine different aspects of the behavior of individuals as they connect with groups, group behaviors, and the sense of self and place that are part of our social and personal identities. It also looks at broader social implications of society as groups, institutions, and nations.
Good communication skills are very important so that you know how to get your message across. The best understanding of psychology and media in the world won’t help if you can’t communicate your thoughts. As technology changes, we must be more innovative and creative. Design brings together disparate elements in new and exciting ways. And finally, learning how media is produced, how technology tools work, and how the technology influences content is helpful in important. The tools change often, but the fundamental issues of people and message construction will continue to apply.
Best,
Pam
I wanted to ask if post graduation in media psychology is possible without E learning?Does the Fielding Univ hold daily lectures for the course?
I’m about to graduate college. I will be graduating with a Bachelor In Science in Psychology and Spanish as my minor. I really want to get my masters in psychology but I have no idea what to study. What jobs can I get with a Media Psychology degree?
I am a PhD Student in Malaysia and my area of research is how can we use media psychology for improving instructional designing of user-interfaces in a web-based learning environment. Please can you refer me a good book that may help and provide relevant support information for my literature review. Since this field is comparatively new, I am unable to find relevant material, this worries me a lot even. Please guide, I shall be very very grateful.
Dear Sadia,
Thank you for your comment! Web-based interfaces are an area of study you describe will bring together a broad area that include cognitive psychology (agency, perception, attention, motivation), learning styles, and computer interface design. I doubt there will be one source that puts it together for you. I don’t know where you are in the process in terms of outlining the areas that are relevant for your specific work (age, platform, content), but I recommend searching for articles where the topic covers either close to what you are interested in researching or something relevant is a partial aspect and then following the references and weaving them together. There appears to be a education platform user-interface design scholar named Termit Kaur Ranjit Singh, PhD specializing in Educational Technology and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her main interest in research is in the area of ICT in Education and the use of Peer Coaching in technology integration in teaching and learning. You might try contacting her. I don’t know if her orientation is on the psychology of the experience, but I find people are often more than happy to share their knowledge and references. Let me know what you find!
Dear Pamela,
Thanks for your quick reply. You said “broad area that include cognitive psychology (agency, perception, attention, motivation), learning styles, and computer interface design”. Well, I am in initial phase of my PhD where I have to narrow down my research area and proposal. I need your suggestions with regards to cognitive psychology (with special reference to media psychology) and its relationship or effect on web-based learning environments. I am interested in aspects of cognitive psychology that could be used in instructional designing of web-based learning environments, like you already mentioned a few, but I would appreciate further details or reference material for indepth study (please!!).
Could you suggest further areas within this domain that I should also explore and look into?
Please could you give me your email address so I may stay in touch with you, and if you are on facebook please let me know so I can add you there as well. I shall wait for your reply. Most regards, Sadia Riaz
I am lost. I am graduating with a degree in television production and I came across Media pschology. I thought this field seems very interesting. I would like to know would it be in my best interest to get a masters in this field. I’ve dealt with public relations, marketing, radio, internet and print while pursuing my degree in tv production. I just want to be versatile and be more marketable. I was thinking about applying to Walden University for my masters in media psychology. Is this right for me?
Please can you suggest media psychology tools and techniques that can be used for desigining multimedia based instructional material for distance or web-based learning.
dear sir i want to take admission in neurophysiology technology
Dear Pamela,
Human factors are investigated under the scientific discipline called Ergonomics, for comprehending human cognition or brain system, so as to design information systems within human factor limitations. I would like to know your detailed view on ergonomics and media psychology. How can they be related? Please give examples for my better understanding. Many thanks and regards.
Sadia Riaz
PhD Candidate
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia
Dear Sadia,
Human physiology and cognition are obviously central issues to ergonomics and they take into account human development across the lifespan from that perspective. Media psychology also looks at the experiential aspects of human interaction with objects and environments across the lifespan. It extends the usability to the perceptions of self and self-reflection, such as, identity, self-efficacy (competence), engagement and flow (in contrast to attention), persuasion, qualitative perceptions of aesthetics, and attribution or the meaning we give to our interactions. For example:
* did this experience make me feel competent or incompetent
* was I able to make a good decision as a decision-maker
* was I engaged at an appropriate level–not to hard or too easy–so that I feel effective and energized
* was the lay-out or design aesthetically pleasing contributing to my overall mood.
Since humans often attribute actions of others and situational context as reflecting back on themselves, these are important considerations that impact not just whether a person is able to use something, but if they will use it or be productive and effective using it. Media psychology will look how the physical usability impacts these types of experiences, drawing on positive psychology, social cognition, learning theory, multiple intelligences, individual strengths, developmental psychology, and cognitive mapping and schemas in addition to the cognitive and biological issues that ergonomics address.
best,
Pam
Dear Pam,
Many thanks for your quick response. It is indeed very helpful. My area of research in related to human cognition factors in ergonomics and media psychology, because implications of these two aspects lack sufficient research. I am applying and testing my findings on web-based interfaces. And since websites are a visual medium, therefore, visual attention is my focus of research.
Moreover, I am in process of writing and publishing conference papers. And your and Mr. Bernard Luskin’s work is very helpful. I have always referred and cited your blogs and papers on media psychology in my research work. I shall continue to do so in future.
At present I am in process of designing a survey based experiment on grounded theory. In this regard, your paper “What is Media Psychology? A Qualitative Inquiry” caught my attention recently. I am very interested to see and understand the whole mechanics of your research where at the end you derived emerging themes. I know Emergent Themes Analysis approach is a distillation concept where broad themes across different studies are identified. It is also based on grounded theory. I would request you to kindly share your practical approach towards doing this survey and if possible send me whatever relevant material (on my email) you have when you conducted this survey, for building my understanding of the research survey. I ensure to acknowledge and cite your work in my research work and whatever information you will share will be purely for education purpose.
Many regards,
Sadia Riaz (PhD Candidate)
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
Malaysia
Hi Pam. Thank you for the information above. I am interested in developing a career centered around the psychological implications of media message on the individual as well as society. Marketing and advertising, but also public policy. A big part of what I want to learn/do is to understand the relationship between public policy, public psychology and societal health/prosperity. It looks like Media Psych is the way to go. Or do I have a misconception? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks again. Jeff
Dear Dr. Rutledge,
Please can you tell me how can we use schemas for aesthetic designing of (web-based interfaces? Please give examples for my better understanding.
Thanks in advance & regards,
Sadia Riaz (PhD Candidate)
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia
Hi Jeff,
I absolutely think that media psychology is a great path for you to consider. While you will need to have an understanding of the media technologies you target, i.e. mass media, social media, etc., but the fundamental ways that humans make meaning of information is central to its persuasive potential. Think about how people organize what they experience so it makes sense–we organize information into models and narratives to contextualize new information so it links to what we already know. Understanding the ways that happens, what factors contribute to message delivery and processing, and attitude change are–to me–more fundamental aspects of your interests that should be the driver of both message construction, media choice, and marketing strategy. (Remember, though, I am biased because this is my area of expertise and passion.)
best,
Pam
Hi Sadia,
This is really something I can answer quickly, so I will try and give you more information when I can. A schema is a cognitive model that we unconsciously use to organize and interpret information. You can think of using schemas in different ways. Schemas give us shortcuts to interpreting information–essential to our ability to navigate in the world. Using shortcuts also mean that we miss certain information in favor of both efficiency and also information that is consistent with our current beliefs and expectations. Schemas, therefore can reinforce our mental shortcuts and stereotypes. It’s important to remember that stereotypes are a cognitive model that facilitates information processing and decision-making and not, by definition, negative or positive. It is the content and the resultant decisions and behaviors that can be viewed as good or bad depending upon one’s perspective, cultural norms, and functional (or not) behaviors and thoughts. This can also make it harder to learn new information or understand experiences that does do not fit with our existing schemas. One way is using the concept of a schema as a mental model that creates an contextual interpretation or gestalt understanding and use that as a lens to view the interface. Another approach is to use a schema as a process or rules about how the world works–if I do this, then that happens.