A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication

In this fifth edition of A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication, author Richard Jackson Harris continues his examination of how our experiences with media affect the way we acquire knowledge about the world, and how this knowledge influences our attitudes and behavior.

Presenting theories from psychology and communication along with reviews of the corresponding research, this text covers a wide variety of media and media issues, ranging from the commonly discussed topics – sex, violence, advertising – to lesser-studied topics, such as values, sports, and entertainment education.

The fifth and fully updated edition offers:

• highly accessible and engaging writing
• contemporary references to all types of media familiar to students
• substantial discussion of theories and research, including interpretations of original research studies
• a balanced approach to covering the breadth and depth of the subject
• discussion of work from both psychology and media disciplines.

The text is appropriate for Media Effects, Media & Society, and Psychology of Mass Media coursework, as it examines the effects of mass media on human cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors through empirical social science research; teaches students how to examine and evaluate mediated messages; and includes mass communication research, theory and analysis.

Richard Jackson Harris is Professor of Psychology at Kansas State University.