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Mass Media
Research: An Introduction, 10th Edition
Roger D. Wimmer & Joseph R. Dominick
Instructor’s Manual
Introduction
A valuable resource for students and
instructors is the website for the text, which is located at www.wimmerdominck.com. The website is updated frequently, but as of
the text's release, the site includes these items:
Supplemental Information
·
Brief Guide for Conducting Focus Groups
·
Research Project Diary
·
Arbitron Ratings Book Page (from Mass Media Research: An
Introduction, 8th edition)
·
Nielsen Ratings Book Page (from Mass Media Research: An Introduction,
8th edition)
·
Research in Advertising (book chapter written by Roger Wimmer)
·
Media Effects Chapter (from Mass Media Research: An Introduction, 7th
edition)
·
SPSS Primer
(from Earl Babbie)
·
Writing Reports (a brief guide for report writing)
·
Estimated Telephone Dialings for a Research Study (Excel file)
Readings
·
Five Stages of Communication/Persuasion
·
Radio Station Ratings: Where do the Numbers Come From?
·
It Seems Like . . .
·
Online Research 1 - PDAdvisor
·
Online Research 2 - PDAdvisor
·
Online Research 3 - PDAdvisor
·
Baloney Detection - Carl Sagan
·
Internet Search Engine Tips
Chapter Questions & Exercises
There
are several questions and exercises for each chapter and students have an
opportunity to submit questions for the website. See Chapter 1 for the instructions for
submitting questions and exercises.
Research Ideas
Information Sources
Statistics Sources
Student Resources (Student activities prepared by
Cengage)
Sampling
·
Error Calculators - 95% and 99%
·
Sample Size Calculator
·
Normal Curve Areas
The Research Doctor Archive (Roger Wimmer's column on AllAccess.com)
The Instructor's Page on the
text's website, which is updated occasionally with our own materials and items
from other instructors, currently includes . . .
1.
Listening Questions - Demonstrates difficulty respondents have in
understanding project directions.
2.
Sample Data for Chapter 7 - Survey Research
3.
Sample Data Codebook for Chapter 7 - Survey Research
4.
Prototype Questionnaire 1 for Chapter 7 - Survey Research
5.
Prototype Questionnaire 2 for Chapter 7 - Survey Research
6.
Sample Questionnaire for Chapter 7 - Survey Research (Edited
questionnaire used by Roger Wimmer)
7.
Prototype Auditorium Music Test Screener for Chapter 14 - Electronic
Media Research
8.
Prototype Auditorium Music Test Tackon for Chapter 14 - Electronic Media
Research
9.
Excel
template to compute means and standard deviations for group data with rating
scales. Included in the Questions & Exercises for Chapter 12.
10.
Sample Music Test Data
11.
Structure & Appeals Analysis
12.
Example of a TV Commercial Ratings Project (Ratings Sheet)
13.
Flash Mind Reader answer
If you need graphics for any research topic,
almost anything is available on the Internet via a Google Images search.
Finally, if you develop class materials you
would like to share with other instructors, please send the information to
Roger Wimmer. Your information will be
included on the "Instructor's Page."
You can also include your contact information if you are interested in
communicating with other instructors.
If you have any questions, feel free to
contact us:
Roger Wimmer - roger@rogerwimmer.com
Joe Dominick - joedom@uga.edu
Changes in the 10th Edition
1. Entire text: Every chapter
was reviewed and updated.
2. Chapter 1 (Science and Research) includes a new definition of mass
media with a new sub-category of mass media (smart media), and new discussions
of the new mass media.
3. Chapter 2 (Elements of Research) includes updated examples and
updated discussions of various measurements instruments.
4. Chapter 3 (Research Ethics) now contains updated information on
federal rules concerning the use of human subjects as well as a discussion
about the ethics of doing research involving social media such as Facebook and
Twitter.
5. Chapter 4 (Sampling) includes updates to most of the types of
sampling methods and problems that can occur with sampling.
6. Chapter 5 (Qualitative Research) includes new sections on the mixed
methods technique and on “netnography.”
7. Chapter 6 (Content Analysis) now includes a section on framing
analysis.
8. Chapter 7 (Survey Research) includes updates in most discussions of
the types of survey research, with an expanded sections on Internet (online)
research and identifying outliers in all types of research.
9. Chapter 9 (Experimental Research) contains a new discussion of how
to minimize drop-outs in online experiments.
10. Chapter 11 (Hypothesis Testing) includes updated examples and
discussions.
11. Chapter 12 (Basic Statistical Procedures) includes a new definition
for Degrees of Freedom that eliminates the usual confusion with the concept.
12. Chapter 13 (Newspaper and Magazine Research) looks at current
research concerning the impact of tablet computers (such as the iPad) on
newspaper and magazine readership.
13. Chapter 14 (Research in the Electronic Media) includes new
information about Arbitron’s Portable People Meter and other new research
considerations related to audience ratings, and an expanded discussion on
respondent verification for all research methods.
14. Chapter 15 (Research in Advertising) includes an expanded and
updated discussions about new advertising channels, such as search engines and
social media.
15. Chapter 16 (Research in Public Relations) now contains a section on
social media message analytics, a group of measures becoming more important in
public relations research.
16. Finally, the tenth edition contains many new or expanded boxed
inserts labeled “A Closer Look” that highlight topics in the text. References and examples have also been
updated.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Science and Research.............................................................................................. 5
Chapter 2 Elements of Research.............................................................................................. 8
Chapter 3 Research Ethics...................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 4 Sampling................................................................................................................ 15
Chapter 5 Qualitative Research Methods............................................................................... 18
Chapter 6 Content
Analysis................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 7 Survey
Research.................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 8 Longitudinal Research........................................................................................... 29
Chapter 9 Experimental
Research.......................................................................................... 33
Chapter 10 Introduction to
Statistics....................................................................................... 36
Chapter 11 Hypothesis
Testing................................................................................................ 40
Chapter 12 Basic
Statistical Procedures................................................................................... 43
Chapter 13 Newspaper and
Magazine Research...................................................................... 47
Chapter 14 Research in the
Electronic Media.......................................................................... 51
Chapter 15 Research in
Advertising......................................................................................... 55
Chapter 16 Research in
Public Relations.................................................................................. 59
Research
in Media Effects (website chapter)........................................................ 63
(Note: The website includes chapters on Media
Effects, Writing Reports, and Research in Advertising.)
Chapter 1 – Science and Research
Overview
This chapter describes what research is and what
procedures are needed to conduct research, which is defined as: an attempt
to discover something. All people conduct
research every day in their daily tasks to reach a decision about a variety of
events. It is important to know how to
conduct research. The most appropriate
method of knowing for mass media research is the scientific method, which is public,
objective, empirical, systematic, cumulative, and predictive.
Although the two major research sectors, academic and
private, are different in terms of the approach and objectives (purposes), the two
sectors have common research goals: to
understand problems and to predict the future.
Eight research steps are described in detail in this
chapter. The typical eight research
steps are the following: select a problem; review previous studies; develop
hypotheses or research questions; determine research design; collect data; analyze
and interpret the results; present the results; replicate the study.
Researchers can find research ideas from several
sources, including professional (academic) journals, magazines and periodicals,
research summaries, archive data, the Internet, and everyday situations. The Internet is a useful source to find and
select research topics. The Internet
provides a huge amount of information for researchers.
When researchers determine topic relevance, they
should ask themselves eight basic questions about research feasibility,
significance of the problem, validity, the approach, and ethics. Also, replication is important because the
results of a single study provide information about only what may exist or may
not exist. To establish scientific
facts, studies should be replicated a number of times.
Since many media researchers use research suppliers
and field services when they conduct a research project, it is important to
understand the term “incidence” and how to calculate cost per interview (CPI). This chapter shows how to compute a CPI in
detail.
Scientific research must be internally and externally valid.
Researchers must be aware of the
potential intervening variables that ruin internal validity. They must also pay attention to problems with
external validity. External validity
means that the results of a study can be generalized across populations and
different settings.
Exercises
1. Obtain
a recent issue of the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media and Critical
Studies is Mass Communication. Discuss
the different characteristics of the both journals.
2. Encourage
students to use search engines on the Internet to find additional information
about all of the topics discussed in the text.
In addition, have the students read “Internet Search Engine Tips” in the
“Readings” section on www.wimmerdominick.com.
Multiple Choice
1. Which
of the following terms is generally not accepted by a researcher who follows
the scientific method:
a) Proposition
b) Theory
c) Operational
definition
d) Undisputed
fact
2. “It
is impossible to get an A on a college test—my brother said so” is an example of the:
a) Method
of intuition
b) Method
of authority
c) Method
of tenacity
d) Scientific
method
3. When
relationships among variables are invariant (always the same) under given
conditions, researchers may formulate a:
a) Theory
b) Proposition
c) Law
d) Constitutive
definition
4. A
bank card for an ATM is the same as a proposition is to a:
a) Constitution
definition
b) Theory
c) Concept
d) Operational
definition
5. Which
of the following statements regarding “two sectors of research” is correct?
a) Nongovernmental
companies and their research consultants conduct private sector research
b) Academic
research is generally more expensive to conduct than research in the private
sector
c) Scholars
from colleges and universities conduct only academic sector research
d) Academic
research and private sector research are independent of each other
6. The
early model of mass communication suggestion that a mass communicator need only
“shoot” messages at an audience and that those messages would produce
preplanned and almost universal effects is known as the:
a) Theory
of universal effects
b) Stimulus-response
model
c) Hypodermic
needle model
d) Universal
and preplanned model of communication
7. Which
of the following statements about the advantages of secondary analysis is
correct?
a) Using
available data is expensive
b) There
are questionnaires or instruments to construct and validate
c) Interviewers
and other personnel need to be paid
d) There
are no costs for data collection or subjects
8. Which
statement regarding characteristics of the scientific method is correct?
a) Scientific
research is public
b) Science
is constitutive
c) Science
is systematic and temporary
d) Science
is critical and cultural
9. Which
event or social trend encouraged the growth of mass media research?
a) World
War II
b) Vietnam
War
c) Violence
and sexual content in radio industry
d) Increased
competition among the media for advertising dollars
10. The
question, "How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?" can be
answered with the help of a/an:
a) Polychronic
definition of the word "angel"
b) Propositional
statement of the word "angel"
c) Theoretical
definition of the word "angel"
d) Operational
definition of the word "angel"
True/False
1. Scientific
advancement depends on privately held information. (F)
2. A
constitutive definition defines a word by substituting other words or concepts
for it. (T)
3. A
theory’s adequacy lies in its ability to predict a phenomenon or event
successfully. (T)
4. In
scientific research, it is important for a single research study to stand
alone. (F)
5. Empiricism
derives from the Greek word for “experience.” (T)
Fill in the Blank
1. Statistical
procedures or formulas are called (algorithms).
2. A
user of the (method of tenacity) follows the logic that something is true
because it has always been true.
3. The
(method of authority) promotes a belief in something because a trusted source,
such as a parent, a news correspondent, or a teacher, says it is true.
4. A
(theory) is a set of related propositions that presents a systematic view of
phenomena by specifying relationships among concepts.
5. According
to the text, any question can be answered as long as there are (operational
definitions) for the independent or dependent variables.
Short Answer
1. How
does the scientific method differ from the other methods of knowing?
2. Explain
the similarities and differences among academic and private sector research.
3. How
does the phrase, “Let the chips fall where they may” relate to research?
4. Why
is the "Hypodermic Needle Theory" ineffective in describing
communication?
5. Explain
the difference between reliability and validity in reference to research.
Chapter 2 -
Elements of Research
Overview
This chapter describes important elements of research,
including concept, construct, variables, measurement, scales, reliability, and
validity. To conduct effective research,
a researcher needs to have a clear understanding of these elements.
A concept is a term that expresses an abstract idea
formed by generalizing from particulars and summarizing related observations. Researchers can simplify research by using
concepts that helps them formulate a general and inclusive term. A construct is a combination of concepts.
Variables are used to describe the
phenomena and events that can be measured in empirical world. Independent variables are varied by the
researcher, whereas dependent variables are the ones that researcher wants to
find out about. Researchers can observe
the phenomena or events by a clear statement of what is to be observed, called
an operational definition.
Measurement
is an assignment of numerals to persons, objects, or characteristics. In this chapter, four levels of measurement
are described. The nominal level
simply assigns numerals to the objects without mathematical significance. The ordinal level ranks objects
according to certain orders, such as from smallest to largest. The scale is at the interval level
when the intervals between adjacent points are equal. The ratio level, the highest level of
measurement, has all the properties of interval scales and plus a true zero
point.
Measurement of some variables requires scales. This chapter describes Thurstone scales,
Guttman scales, Likert scales, and semantic differential scales. Likert scales and semantic differential
scales are the most commonly used scales in mass media research.
A measurement must be both reliable and valid to be
useful in any research procedures. We
can say a measure is reliable if it consistently gives the same answer. Reliability consists of three components:
stability, internal consistency, and equivalency. To assess the reliability of measurements,
researcher can use the test-retest method with the correlation
coefficient. The split-half technique
and the cross-test reliability method can be used to examine the internal
consistency and the equivalency component of reliability. Also, intercoder reliability is used in the
case of content analysis.
A valid measure measures what it is supposed to
measure. Four major types of validity
are described in detail: face validity, predictive validity, concurrent
validity, and construct validity. Reliability and validity are related. Reliability is a necessary condition to
establish validity, but it is not a sufficient condition. A measurement can be reliable even if it is
not valid. It is important to remember
that a measurement must be both reliable and valid to be used in the research.
Exercises
- Have students find an article from any empirically based academic
journal and summarize the four basic elements of the research process:
concepts and constructs, measurement, variables, and scales in the
research paper.
- Search the Internet regarding
qualitative and quantitative research in mass media.
Multiple Choice
- Which of the following types of
variables does the researcher systematically vary?
a)
Independent variables
b) Dependent variables
c) Control variables
d)
Internal variables
- To eliminate unwanted
influences, which of the following do researchers use?
a) Independent variables
b) Dependent variables
c)
Control variables
d)
Predictor variables
- Which
of the following variables can take on any value, including fractions?
a) Discrete
b) Dependent
c)
Continuous
d)
Dummy
- Another name for Thurstone
Scale is:
a) Discrete interval scale
b)
Equal-appearing interval scale
c) Monotonic interval scale
d)
Continuous interval scale
- One of the most commonly used
scales in mass media research is the:
a) Guttman Scale
b) Thurstone Scale
c)
Likert Scale
d)
Anderson Scale
- The
research procedures and methodologies used by field services or research
suppliers in private sector research is audited by:
a) The American Marketing Association
b) The American Statistical Association
c) The Research Association of America
d)
No one
- Which term asks if a study
really investigated what it was supposed to investigate?
a) Operational validity
b)
Internal validity
c) Post hoc validity
d)
External validity
- The
deterioration of research instruments or methods over the course of a
study is called:
a) Maturation
b) Mortality
c)
Instrument decay
d) Statistical regression
- What is often used to verify subjects’
responses?
a)
Cross-validating
b) Homogeneity
c) Artifact evaluation
d)
Multiple response question
- The only difference between
qualitative and quantitative research is . . .
a) Sample size
b)
The style or type of questions used
c) Generalizing results to the
population
d)
Data analysis procedures
True/False
- Qualitative
research always uses smaller samples of subjects or respondents. (F)
- Concepts
simplify the research process by combining particular characteristics,
objects, or people into more general categories. (T)
- The
ordinal level is the weakest form of measurement. (F)
- The
numerical midpoint on a Likert Scale is 4. (F)
- One way to test internal consistency in a measurement scale is through
a test known as the split-half technique. (T)
Fill in the Blank
- A
(concept) is a term that expresses an abstract idea formed by generalizing
from particulars and summarizing related observations.
- (Dependent
variables) are observed and their values presumed to depend on the effects
of the independent variables.
- (Qualitative
research) involves several methods of data collection, such as focus groups,
field observation, in-depth interviews and case studies.
- (Triangulation)
refers to the use of both qualitative methods, and quantitative methods to
fully understand the nature of a research problem.
- The term (isomorphism) means identify or similarity of form or
structure.
Short Answer
- What
is the advantage of including marker variables in a research study?
- Explain
the concept of research “noise.”
- Explain
the different levels of measurement.
- Why
are operational definitions so important in research? What types of problems can
a researcher encounter if operational definitions are not used in a
research study?
- A
researcher has data collected on a 1-5 scale. What procedure is used to
transform the data to a 1-10 scale?
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