Potter, Introduction to Media Literacy
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Chapter 2: Test Bank
1. Faulty beliefs can get us in trouble because
@ Section Location: Taking Out the Trash; Learning Objective: 1
a. they trap us into thinking about the wrong things.
2. Arguing that Facebook reinforces narcissistic drivel exemplifies this faulty belief
@ Section Location: Media Are Harmful; Learning Objective: 1
d. that media literacy requires too much effort.
3. Believing that analyzing our favorite characters in a movie we reduce our liking of those
characters is an example of which faulty belief about the media?
@ Section Location: Media Literacy Will Destroy My Fun With the Media; Learning Objective:
1
a. Media are harmful.
4. If we understand that a characteristic of higher media literacy is the ability to transform
information into knowledge structures, we can avoid which faulty belief about the media?
@ Section Location: Media Literacy Requires the Memorization of a Great Many Facts;
Learning Objective: 1
a. Media are harmful.
5. If we understand that media literacy is not a category by rather a continuum, we can avoid
which faulty belief about the media?
@ Section Location: Media Literacy Requires Too Much Effort; Learning Objective: 1
a. Media are harmful.
6. Critical thinking refers to
@ Section Location: Taking Out the Trash (Box 2.1); Learning Objective: 1
a. criticizing the media.
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7. Media literacy is
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
a. our ability to criticize the mass media.
8. We build our perspectives from
d. information.
9. To build our knowledge structures, we need
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
a. tools.
10. The tools needed for building our knowledge structures about the mass media consist of
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
d. All of the above
11. The raw materials needed for us to build our knowledge structures about the mass media
consist of
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
a. our skills.
12. The willingness we need to build our knowledge structures about the mass media comes from
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
a. our skills.
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13. The three building blocks of media literacy include
@ Section Location: The Big Three; Learning Objective: 3
14. Your personal locus is composed of
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Personal Locus; Learning Objective: 3
a. your knowledge of the media.
15. Joe frequently considers his goal of learning more about the candidates running for public
office in his town. He puts a great deal of effort into finding a variety of media sources
providing information about the candidates. Joe
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Personal Locus; Learning Objective: 3
a. has reached the social responsibility stage of media literacy.
*d. has a strong personal locus.
16. Information is piecemeal, whereas knowledge is
@ Section Location: The Big Three—knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 3
a. unorganized.
17. Knowledge structures occur
@ Section Location: The Big Three—knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 3
18. The context we use when trying to make sense of new media messages is provided by the
following:
@ Section Location: The Big Three—knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 3
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19. The breaking down of a message into meaningful elements is called
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
d. deduction.
20. When we evaluate, we
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
a. break down a message into meaningful elements.
21. Samantha hears on the radio that regular coffee consumption lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease. She finds this interesting, but looks up the study cited by the news report to get more
information and compare the research with her standards before accepting the finding as
accurate. Samantha is demonstrating the skill of
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
a. deduction.
22. When we classify the content of television messages according to the programmer’s intention
to entertain us, to inform us, or to persuade us, we use which of the following skills?
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
a. Deduction
23. In public opinion polls, 1 in 6 people thinks that there is a crime problem in their community,
but 5 in 6 people think that there is a crime problem in society. This difference in opinion is
an example of a faulty use of
d. grouping.
24. Some people overestimate and other people underestimate the effect the mass media have on
them. These are examples of faulty uses of
Potter, Introduction to Media Literacy
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d. grouping.
25. Synthesis is
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
a. putting elements into categories.
26. You just watched the latest episode of “American Idol.” Your roommate missed the show
and you explain to her what happened and who got eliminated. You are using the skill of
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
27. Which of the following statements is true?
@ Section Location: The Big Three—SKILLS; Learning Objective: 4
d. All of the above
28. You can assess your knowledge structures about the mass media by reflecting on your
information about
@ Section Location: Assessing Your Knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 5
a. mass media industries.
29. Which of the following is related to mass media content?
@ Section Location: Assessing Your Knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 5
30. Assessing the knowledge structures about media effects refers to
@ Section Location: Assessing Your Knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 5
a. understanding the differences between process effects and manifested effects.
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31. All beliefs about the media are faulty.
@ Section Location: Taking Out the Trash; Learning Objective: 1
32. Media literacy is a continuum.
@ Section Location: Media Literacy Requires Too Much Effort; Learning Objective: 1
33. The more perspectives you have from which to experience the media, the more critical you
34. Media literacy helps us interpret the meanings of the media messages we encounter.
35. Being media literate requires that your personal locus is constantly engaged.
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Personal Locus; Learning Objective: 3
36. Information is the essential ingredient of knowledge structures.
@ Section Location: The Big Three—knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 3
37. Deduction involves using general principles to explain particulars.
38. Synthesis is one of the skills of media literacy.
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
39. Television viewing always hurts a child’s academic performance.
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
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40. Assessing your knowledge structures about the media includes reflecting on mass media
industries, audiences, content, and effects.
41. Name and discuss three faulty beliefs about media literacy.
@ Section Location: Taking Out the Trash; Learning Objective: 1
42. State and explain the proactive definition of media literacy.
@ Section Location: The Definition; Learning Objective: 2
43. Name and discuss the three key components of media literacy.
@ Section Location: The Big Three; Learning Objective: 3
44. State and explain three skills necessary for media literacy.
@ Section Location: The Big Three—Skills; Learning Objective: 4
45. Discuss the questions we need to address to better understand media content.
@ Section Location: Assessing Your Knowledge Structures; Learning Objective: 5