Appendix B: Understanding Mass and
Mediated Communication
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following would be considered mediated communication?
2. The merging of traditional mass communication with digital computing and telecommunication technologies is
called
3. Sasha watches television, creeps on her friend’s Facebook pages, and texts her best friends at the same time.
What term would your text use to describe Sasha’s behavior?
4. Entertainment that appeals to most people’s baser instincts is referred to as
5. Which of the following is the government not able to do?
6. The __________ focuses on the way we make media choices in order to satisfy our needs and goals.
7. Following the devastating earthquake in Japan, Chizu, a Japanese graduate student attending school in the
United States, found herself glued to the television and sometimes unable to sleep, fearing she would miss
important information. We would refer to her state as
8. Which theory explains the following scenario? Your little brother is a huge fan of WWE wrestling. After he and
his friends watch several matches, you observe them beginning to act out their own wrestling matches, shouting
at one another and jumping off the couch trying to pin one another.
9. Which theory explains why a person who watches a lot of crime shows, like CSI or Law and Order, may begin
to believe that violent crime is more common than it really is?
10. Individuals and groups that have the power to control the creation and distribution of information and
entertainment are referred to as
11. Media convergence may be a good thing, in that a greater variety of voices are contributing to the public
conversation about various ideas and subjects. Society benefits when more of these voices are included in the
public dialogue. These statements refer to which concept?
12. As colleges move more and more of their course content to the Web they may make information more
accessible to students, but also need to be mindful of __________ because not all students have access to the
resources they need to access online course content.
True/False Questions
2. Advances in communication technologies are blurring the lines between traditional mass media and more
3. Most kids and teens spend nearly eight hours per day devoted to media, including television, movies, Internet,
5. Eighty to 90 percent of mass media revenue is generated by only about 10 to 20 percent of the media products
6. Despite its reputation for low culture, television has produced more sophisticated programming over the last
7. While the FCC has the authority to regulate broadcast television networks, cable and satellite networks often
10. Cable television is subject to government regulation because it transmits its content over public cable networks.
11. Despite the reputation the media have for being biased, research actually indicates that news media today are no
12. While the media are often criticized for interfering with social activities, many people turn to the media to meet
13. Nearly one half of Americans today report that they are dependent on the Internet for detailed information
14. The diversity of perspectives presented in the media today appears to have made media bias irrelevant because
15. Most people believe that negative media influences, such as exposure to biased messages, have a greater effect
16. Research today indicates that despite the results of studies done in the 1970s and 1980s, media does not appear
17. Young children appear to be more susceptible to the negative behavioral effects of television content than older
18. Media coverage of issues may set the agenda for what topics we discuss, how we discuss them, and even how
19. New mediated communication technologies like blogs and Twitter may be reducing the agenda setting power of
20. Social capital refers to the degree to which people in a culture are informed by the media and, thus, able to
21. People who live in poverty or in rural areas where access to Internet and/or technology is limited may be
22. Media convergence and user-generated content may contribute positively to our culture by enhancing the
Short-Answer Questions
1. What is the difference between mediated communication and mass media?
H = Defining Mass and Mediated Communication (p. 388); C = comprehension; D = 2
2. What term do we use to refer to the way new media have blurred the lines between mass media and more
interpersonal forms of communication?
H = Defining Mass and Mediated Communication (p. 389); C = comprehension; D = 2
3. Provide a brief example of a time when you have engaged in media multitasking.
H = The Pervasiveness of Media (p. 389); C = application; D = 2
4. What do we mean when we say that the business of the media relies on exponentiality?
H = Sources of Revenue (p. 390); C = comprehension; D = 2
5. Why is television criticized for its promotion of low culture?
H = Broad Versus Narrow Appeal (p. 391); C = comprehension; D = 2
6. Provide an example of a television program you think embodies narrative complexity.
H = Broad Versus Narrow Appeal (p. 391); C = comprehension; D = 3
7. After the highly publicized conflict with Jay Leno and the NBC network, Conan O’Brien took his unique brand
of talk show and loyal following to TBS, a cable network where he would be able to survive with a smaller
audience. This example illustrates the power and use of __________.
H = Broad Versus Narrow Appeal (p. 391); C = analysis; D = 3
8. Why would a television network engage in self-censorship?
H = Minimizing Risk (pp. 391‒392); C = comprehension; D = 2
9. In your own words, briefly explain why the FCC regulates broadcast television networks but not satellite and
cable television networks.
H = Electronic Media Regulation (p. 393); C = comprehension and analysis; D = 3
10. Define the uses and gratifications perspective.
11. Which concept explains why we may perceive other people as being highly dependent on or influenced by the
media while failing to realize how much we are also dependent on or influenced by media?
H = The Third Person Effect (p. 396); C = comprehension; D = 2
12. How might social cognitive theory explain how media content affects people’s behavior?
13. What is social capital?
H = Connecting Marginalized Voices (p. 399); C = knowledge; D = 2
14. Why are communication researchers concerned about the digital divide?
H = Digital Divide (p. 400); C = comprehension; D = 2
15. List three of the five skills the textbook offers for how to become a more mindful media consumer.
H = Becoming a More Mindful Media Consumer (pp. 401‒402); C = knowledge; D = 3
Essay Questions
1. In what ways do “traditional media” and the pervasive “converged” media differ? Do you believe that the
traditional media are still powerful? Why, or why not?
C = comprehension and evaluation; D = 2
2. Television is often characterized and criticized as low culture. Do you think this is a fair assessment? Is it fair to
disregard the cultural importance of television because much of it appeals to our base needs? Why, or why not?
C = comprehension, synthesis, and evaluation; D = 2
3. Should we be concerned about media bias? Synthesizing concepts and theories from throughout this chapter,
justify your answer.
C = evaluation; D = 2
4. Your sister and her husband are discussing what television programming is appropriate for your five-year-old
niece. Based on what you read in this chapter, what information would you share with them about the potential
negative and positive effects of media messages on children, as well as regulation of the content on television?
C = comprehension and synthesis; D = 3
5. Research cited in your text indicates that most teens and young adults interact with media for more than seven
hours each day, and that media multitasking may mean they are exposed to even more media messages. Based
on your own observations, do you believe this estimate is accurate? How do your own media habits compare to
that statistic?
C = analysis; D = 2
6. Uses and gratifications perspective argues that we choose which media to access based on our needs and goals.
Reflecting on your own media habits, discuss the way you use various media (Internet, television, music, film,
etc.) to meet your own needs and goals. Provide specific examples to illustrate your answer.
C = application; D = 1