Potential Exam Questions for Media Effects Research: A Basic Overview (5th Edition) by Glenn
G. Sparks
Chapter 6
1. According to the text, what situation makes it difficult to assess the merits of the “safety
valve theory” of the effects of sexually explicit material?
2. According to the text, in the study by Kenneth Leonard and Stuart Taylor, males watched
slides that were either neutral or erotic. In the erotic slide conditions, a female partner
either made negative comments (nonpermissive cues) or positive comments (permissive
cues) about the material. What was the major finding in this study?
3. According to the text, Zillmann and his colleagues had males and females view
frightening films in the presence of an opposite sex partner who displayed behaviors that
were either “conquering” or “escapist.” Which of the following theoretical ideas best
explain the results of this study?
a. social learning theory
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part.
d. gender role socialization
e. none of the above
4. According to the text, the “sexual uncertainty hypothesis” states that:
a. With increased use of sexual material on the Internet, sexual uncertainty in
adolescents about their sexual values DECREASES.
5. According to the text, at one point in his research career, Dolf Zillmann decided to stop
doing research on the effects of sexually explicit media. Why did he make that decision?
a. He believed that all of the important questions had been answered.
b. He could not find sexually explicit material that was nonviolent.
6. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE regarding the 1967 Commission
on Obscenity and Pornography?
a. It was formed under President Lyndon Johnson and concluded that pornography
was extremely harmful to several different populations.
7. According to the text, which of the following is the best overall conclusion about the
research that has examined the relationship between the unrestricted flow of sexually
explicit materials in a society and the rate of sex crimes in that society?
e. Overall, it is quite difficult to conduct this research because law enforcement
agencies refuse to release data that pertain to sex crimes.
8. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE regarding the 1986 Meese
Commission on Pornography?
a. It funded a new wave of original scientific research and concluded that there were
no harmful effects of pornography.
9. According to the text, how did the researchers who published the Annenberg Sex and
Media Study explain the fact that compared to comedy TV shows, viewers who watched
dramatic shows reported a lower frequency of engaging in sexual behavior?
a. Comedy viewers are less educated about sexual risks than drama viewers. The
finding has little to do with the effects of program genres and more to do with
who watches different genres.
10. According to the text, a 2014 study by two economists who examined the effects of the
MTV show, 16 and Pregnant, concluded that:
a. The program has caused an increase in the rate of teen pregnancy and should be
banned from the airwaves.