International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Although today's mixture of theories and approaches combining interpersonal and mass communication is a two-sided one (incorporating researchers with training in both fields), virtually all of the accessible research on media content in interpersonal communication has arisen from researchers primarily trained in the effects tradition of mass communication research, rather than from interpersonal communication researchers studying the content of conversation. Early in the history of media research, scholars investigating the effects of motion pictures through the Payne Fund studies ( Blumer 1933 ) and even earlier ( Phelan 1919 ) found that there was a great deal of interpersonal discussion about the content before, during, and after viewing (→  Interpersonal Communication ; Media Effects ). While the primary research objective was to understand how media were affecting individuals, it was clear that there was a social component to the process of media attendance and enjoyment. Over its history, research on media content in interpersonal communication has led to four major ideas : (1) interpersonal discussion has an impact on selection of media content, (2) media content provides material for interpersonal discussion, (3) interpersonal communication alters a number of the effects of media by amplifying or dampening them, and (4) interpersonal discussion affects the enjoyment of ... log in or subscribe to read full text