Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Giles' volume is the first textbook dedicated to the topic of media psychology. Yes, I know there are other texts out there such as Harris' textbook on cognitive psychological approaches to the media or the Bryant and Zillmann edited collection on media effects. But Giles' book provies a much broader look at this topic. The study of media psychology has long been an area of focus in Europe, but U.S. scholars (especially psychologists) have generally ignored the media. Hopefully, this volume and the fairly new journal entitled Media Psychology will increase U.S. scholars interest in the media. The two things I think some readers may dislike are Giles' almost exclusive use of examples from British TV (however, his is British). This is fine if you are familiar with British TV, but many people in the audience this book is intended for are not familiar with Coronation Street and other programs. Second, Giles can go off on rather ideosyncratic bables from time to time on topics he disagrees with (fortunately, this is rare, and a few of them are actually pretty enjoyable). All in all, a must have book for anyone seriously interested in the media.
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Media Psychology examines the impact that 21st century media use has on human behavior, from teenage crushes on pop stars to soap fandom in adulthood. It brings together North American communication research with European media research in a variety of disciplines--psychology, sociology, communication and media studies--and in doing so, maps out the territory for media psychology. David Giles argues that psychologists have been guilty of ignoring the influence of the media over the last century, seeing it at best as a minor nuisance that will eventually go away. However, with the increasing prevalence of new electronic forms of mass communication, the media seem to have a greater influence than ever over our daily lives. In this book, Dr. Giles tackles the traditional topics of media psychology--sex, violence, advertising--along with sections on developmental aspects of media influence and the psychology of the audience. He also examines a number of specific media genres--news, sports, soaps, and the increasingly popular audience participation media, such as "reality" and "lifestyle" television. In addition, he asks what light psychology can shed on the popularity of these genres and the response of their audiences. Finally, there are chapters on the increasing influence of the Internet and on the representation of psychology and psychologists themselves in the media.
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