Collective efficacy

Definition: Social cohesion in which a group feels that together they can accomplish a certain goal or set of goals.

Example: Fundraising events, such as Relay for Life or the Susan G. Comen 60 Day Walk, are examples where collective efficacy would come into play. Individually, people may not feel that they can contribute much or make a big difference in their cause, but they feel that as part of the whole group participating in the event, they can raise enough money to make a difference in the cause.

Originator of concept and seminal article:
Sampson, R. J. (1997). Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy. Science, 2772-25.

Other foundational articles about the construct: Since the original article, no foundational changes has been made. The theory has been continued to be applied to violence and neighborhood crime, as well as other types of group situations.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Karasek, D. D., Ahern, J. J., & Galea, S. S. (2012). Social norms, collective efficacy, and smoking cessation in urban neighborhoods. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(2), 343-351. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300364

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: Collective efficacy is related to self-efficacy which is the judgment of ones owns abilities to accomplish goals or tasks.

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: Collective, efficacy, action, confidence, group, goals.

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself: This particular diagram is related to collective efficacy in a school setting. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/95/4/images/edu_95_4_821_fig1a.gif

Original post by Ellie Clifford

Media literacy

Definition: Media literacy involves having the necessary skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages in a variety of forms.

Example: A man is listening to the news and hears an announcement that brand new research has just proven that window cleaners cause brain cancer. Since this man has media literacy, he will consider the various aspects that influence the message he is hearing. He will think about which channel it is being broadcast on and if that channel has any affiliations that might impact what kind of information they are releasing. He might think about who would be sponsoring that message. He would evaluate the credibility of the channel based on his experiences. These culminating ideas would help him to decide whether he thinks this story is true or not.

Originator of concept and seminal article:
Culkin, J. (1977). The New Literacy: From the Alphabet to Television. Media and
Methods.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Culkin, J., & Drexel, J. (1981). Building a New Literacy. Teacher, 96(5), 45-47.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Gee, J. (2012). The Old and the New in the New Digital Literacies. Educational Forum, 76(4), 418-420. doi:10.1080/00131725.2012.708622

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: Information literacy

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: Media, literacy, digital, messages, mass media

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself: http://mk120.paulmihailidis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hierarchy-with-arrows1.png

Original post by Ellie Clifford

Parental mediation

Definition: The parental mediation construct explains the interactions between parents and children, regarding the child’s media use. Parents may express negative or positive attitudes about the messages their children are being exposed to. Parents may also impose certain rules, which regulate a child’s exposure to certain types of media or messages.

Example:  A parent concerned about the violence in media, may limit their child’s exposure to violent television shows. Parents may engage in communication with their child about why violence shouldn’t be condoned or shown on television. The parent could impose a parental lock on the television which prohibits the child from viewing a particular show or channel.

Originator of concept and seminal article: The originator of the parental mediation concept is unclear. One of the earliest papers involving parental mediation is:
Inkeles, A. (1955). Social Change and Social Character: The Role of Parental Mediation. Journal of Social Issues, 11(2), 12-23.

A research article that includes this concept and television viewing is:
Atkin, C. K., & Greenberg, B. S. (1977). Parental Mediation of Children’s Social Behavior Learning from Television.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Robertson, T. S. (1979). Parental mediation of television advertising effects. Journal of Communication, 29(1), 12-25.

A research article that explicitly states parental mediation theory is:
Clark, L. S. (2011). Parental Mediation Theory for the Digital Age. Communication Theory, 21(4), 323-343.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Harrison, K., Liechty, J. M., & The STRONG Kids Program. (2012). US Preschoolers’ Media Exposure and Dietary Habits: The primacy of television and the limits of parental mediation. Journal of Children and Media, 6(1), 18-36.
Chicago

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: parental mediation doesn’t belong to a family of theories

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: media exposure, endorsement, counter-reinforcement, positive/negative mediation, control-oriented, active mediation, restrictive mediation, co-viewing

Additional notes:

Original post by Lauren Shinholster

Image Restoration Theory

Definition: This can be defined as image repair, an approach for understanding corporate crisis situations and what messages can be said in this crisis. It helps understand the crisis communication option available for organizations or person’s whose reputation has been threatened. The theory explains that an image can be improved but cannot be completely restored to what it was before its reputation was threatened. According to the theory personal or organizational reputation can be destroyed when accused or suspected of wrongdoing and this influence how other people will react treat the individual and also affect self-esteem. So a good image is what everybody and every organization desire, hence a bad reputation need an action to restore a good reputation. The most key components of image restoration theory are an act of offense must have happened and the accused (one with threatened reputation) must be the one blamed for the offense (crisis).

Example: One critical example is of the 9/11 attacks. The reputation of Saudi Arabia was threatened, as the terrorists including Osama bin Laden were believed to be from Saudi Arabia. So the accusation was on Saudi Arabia and their image was at risk as the country was believed to be responsible for the act. Saudi Arabia did a series of media advertisement (crisis messages) trying to distance itself from the attacks as a country and the people involved.

Originator of concept and seminal article: There seem to be no specific author or originator of the theory but it’s a crisis response theory that integrates the work of the following authors and scholars:
• Burke, K. (1970). Rhetoric of religion. Berkeley: University of California Press.

• Pomerantz, A. Attributions of responsibility: Blamings. Sociology vol. 12 pp. 115–
121. (1978)

• Ware, B. L., & Linkugel, W. A. (1973). They spoke in defense of themselves: On the
generic criticism of apologia. Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 59 pp. 273–83.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
• Scott, M. H., & Lyman, S. M. (1968). Accounts. American Sociological Review vol. 33 pp. 46–62.
• Benoit, W. L. (1995a). Accounts, excuses and apologies: A theory of image repair strategies. Albany: State University of New York Press

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the construct:
• Benoit, W. L., & Pang, A. (2008). Crisis communication and image repair discourse. In
Tricia L.
• Coombs, W. T. (1998). An analytic framework for crisis situations: Better responses from
a better understanding of the situation. Journal of Public Relations Research, 10(3), 177-
191
• Coombs, T., & Schmidt, L. (2000). An empirical analysis of image restoration: Texaco’s
Racism Crisis. Journal of Public Relations Research, 12(2), 163-178
• Huang, Y-H. (2006). Crisis situations, communication strategies, and Media coverage.
Communication Research, 33(3) 180-205

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: crisis communication, reputation management, attribution theory, situational crisis communication theory

Keywords typically be associated with this construct:
The most key words for the theory are the three key main strategies of image restoration namely;
• Denial
• Evasion of Responsibility
• Reducing Offensiveness of Event

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0590210301002.png

Additional notes:

Original post by Boineelo Mantu

Warning Response Theory

Definition:
Warning response theory is based on the idea of communicating disaster and crisis among human population. It warns people about risk in disaster related area and what they can do to protect themselves.

Example:
During the occurrence of natural calamity such as Tsunami, Tornado or hurricane, the government issues warning to evacuate from the disaster zone and seek immediate shelter.  Recent Hurricane Sandy is one of the examples that used warning system to alert residents of NY and neighboring states and cities to evacuate.

Originator of concept and seminal article:
None

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Sorensen, J. H. (2000). Hazard Warning Systems: Review of 20 Years of Progress. [Article]. Natural Hazards Review, 1(2), 119
Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Sharma, U., & Patt, A. (2012). Disaster warning response: the effects of different types of personal experience. Natural Hazards, 60(2), 409-423. doi: 10.1007/s11069-011-0023-2

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory:risk communication
Keywords typically be associated with this construct:
Warning Response, Warning System

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself:
None

Additional notes:
None

Original post by Rachana Thakker

Affect heuristic

Definition: The reliance on rapidly occurring, automatic, emotive, and usually first responses to a stimulus in determining whether the stimulus is positive or negative. The emotive responses can be qualified as either “goodness” or “badness” experienced as a feeling.

Example: When observing a car, you do not simply see a car. You see a “sporty” car or an “ugly” car which then affects your decision to purchase the car.

Originator of concept and seminal article:
Zajonc, R. B. (1980). Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences. American psychologist, 35(2), 151.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Slovic, P., Finucane, M. L., Peters, E., & MacGregor, D. G. (2007). The affect heuristic. European Journal of Operational Research, 177(3), 1333-1352.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to this construct:
Pachur, T., & Galesic, M. (2012). Strategy Selection in Risky Choice: The Impact of Numeracy, Affect, and Cross‐Cultural Differences. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making.

Dohle, S., Keller, C., & Siegrist, M. (2012). Fear and anger: antecedents and consequences of emotional responses to mobile communication. Journal of Risk Research, 15(4), 435-446.

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: The affect heuristic was developed as an alternative to the “heuristics and biases approach” by Tversky and Kahneman which includes representativeness, anchoring, and adjustment. This approach emphasizes emotion rather than pure cognition and rational when making decisions.

Keywords typically associated with this construct: Heuristic, affect, emotion, decision making, judgment, response

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself: n/a

Additional notes:

Original post submitted by Alan Mobley, MPH student, University of Georgia, amob at uga.edu

Chaos Theory

Definition: A framework that posits that the environment contains complex systems in which any effort to predict causal and linear outcomes narrows the scope of uncertain outcomes that may arise, due to the variance and changes in the environment. Although the initial assumption to chaos is unpredictability, the theory attempts predict order without predictability of complexity after long-term evidence that evaluates general trends and patterns of behavior within chaotic systems.

Example: The anthrax attack in 2001 was an unprecedented incident that depicted the vital communication among many stakeholders through several channels including the Internet as five citizens died from anthrax exposure after opening contaminated letters. The situation engulfed vast uncertainty regarding the degree of threat and people at risk. A plan of action in communicating with publics about the crisis faced many challenges in the speed of the crisis, collaboration with other organizations, and competitive media. The anthrax attack revolved around a complex system, due to its changing environment that relied on continuous up-to-date information.

Originator of concept and seminal article: Benoit B. Mandelbrot in the field of mathematics.

Mandelbrot, B. B. (1982). The fractal geometry of nature / Benoit B. Mandelbrot. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, c1982.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Loye, D., & Eisler, R. (1987). Chaos and transformation: implications of nonequilibrium theory for social science and society. Behavioral Science, 32(1), 53-65. Article discusses chaos theory as it relates to the social sciences.

Murphy, P. (1996). Chaos Theory as a Model for Managing Issues and Crises. Public Relations Review, 22(2), 95-113. Article discusses chaos theory as it relates to public relations regarding crisis communication.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to this construct:
Abbasi, H. R., Gholami, A. A., Fathi, S. H., & Abbasi, A. A. (2011). Using Multiple Scales Method and Chaos Theory for Detecting Route to Chaos in Chaotic Oscillations in Voltage Transformer with Nonlinear Core Loss Models. International Review On Modelling & Simulations, 4(5), 2195-2210. Article applies chaos theory to field of physics involving electrical circuits.

Pryor, R. (2010). A FRAMEWORK FOR CHAOS THEORY CAREER COUNSELLING. Australian Journal Of Career Development (ACER Press), 19(2), 32-40. Article implements chaos theory to career development.

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: Complexity theory, Postmodernism, General Systems Theory, Game Theory, Catastrophe Theory, Non-linear Dynamic System Theory, Fractal Theory.

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: Sensitive dependence on initial conditions, bifurcation, self-organization, fractals, strange attractors, complex systems, uncertainty, non-linear systems, order, predictability.

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself:
Buggey, T. (2007, Summer). Storyboard for Ivan’s morning routine. Diagram. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 9(3), 151. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Link: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/imageQuickView?sid=fb0bc2b0-2e0e-4891-ac47-6fd7ba4a67a9@sessionmgr112&vid=9&ui=7633081&id=43590688&parentui=43590688&tag=AN&db=bth

Additional notes:

Original post by Jason Azurmendi

Perceived Risk

Definition: Perceived Risk is the subjective judgment that people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk.

Example: A news channel interrupts your Monday night show to with breaking news that a hurricane is heading straight towards your town. They are suggesting to evacuate as soon as possible and prepare for the incoming weather. Do you believe it is an urgent matter? Do you think the storm will hit? Do you think you and your family are in danger? Will you be okay if you stay? All of these questions help you formulate the perceived risk of this situation, or how severely it will impact you and your family.

Originator of concept and seminal article:

Starr, C. (1969). Social Benefit versus Technological Risk. Science, 165(3899), 1232-1238. doi: 10.1126/science.165.3899.1232

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Slovic, P., Fischhoff, B., & Lichtenstein, S. (1982). Why Study Risk Perception?. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 2(2), 83. doi:10.1111/j.1539
6924.1982.tb01369.x

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Frewer, L. J. (2012). Risk Perception, Communication and Food Safety.
Strategies for Achieving Food Security in Central Asia, 123-131.

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: Communication, risk communication, psychometric model

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: Communication, risk, perception, severity

Link(s) to any models or diagrams that depict the construct itself:
http://www.agbioforum.org/v12n34/v12n34a13-fig1.jpg

Original post by Ellie Clifford

Transportation Theory

Definition: The feeling of being lost in the world of a story and leaving the real world behind. This experience is key to the underlying influence of stories or narratives on individuals’ attitudes and beliefs, and is associated with media enjoyment. It is a mental process, melding attention, imagery, and emotion (http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_yr2012_chunk_g978140513199525_ss58-1) First, the attention of the individual is needed, then emotional involvement, and lastly, cognitive ability for imagery. The consequences include not noticing events in their physical world, developing strong emotions and motivation with protagonist, and is persuaded by the narrative by identifying with the protagonist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_theory_(psychology))

Example: Analogy: Someone ‘the traveler’ is transported, by some means of transportation, as a result of performing certain actions. The traveler goes some distance from his or her world of origin, which makes some aspects of the world of origin inaccessible. The traveler returns to the world of origin, somewhat changed by the journey.

Originator of concept and seminal article: Victor Nell first studied reading for pleasure. Richard Gerrig coined the term “transportation”. Melanie Green and Timothy Brock were the ones to operationalize the transportation theory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_theory_(psychology)) The seminal article is Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). “The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (79) (5), 701-721.

Other foundational articles about the construct: Nell, V.(1988) “The psychology of reading for pleasure: Needs and gratifications”. Reading and Research Quarterly, 23, 6-50; Gerrig, R. J. (1993). Experiencing narrative worlds: On the psychological activities of reading. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to this construct: Owen, Bradford, Riggs, Matt (2012). Transportation, need for cognition, and affective disposition as factors in enjoyment of film narratives. John Benjamins Publishing Company. Scientific Study of Literature, Volume 2, Number 1, 128-149

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: In mathematics and economics, transportation theory is a name given to the study of optimal transportation and allocation of resources. “Magic Bullet”.

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: Theory of Transportation, Transportation into a narrative world, media enjoyment, persuasion

Original post by Erica Smith

Parental mediation

Definition: The parental mediation construct explains the interactions between parents and children, regarding the child’s media use. Parents may express negative or positive attitudes about the messages their children are being exposed to. Parents may also impose certain rules, which regulate a child’s exposure to certain types of media or messages.

Example:  A parent concerned about the violence in media, may limit their child’s exposure to violent television shows. Parents may engage in communication with their child about why violence shouldn’t be condoned or shown on television. The parent could impose a parental lock on the television which prohibits the child from viewing a particular show or channel.

Originator of concept and seminal article: The originator of the parental mediation concept is unclear. One of the earliest papers involving parental mediation is:
Inkeles, A. (1955). Social Change and Social Character: The Role of Parental Mediation. Journal of Social Issues, 11(2), 12-23.

A research article that includes this concept and television viewing is:
Atkin, C. K., & Greenberg, B. S. (1977). Parental Mediation of Children’s Social Behavior Learning from Television.

Other foundational articles about the construct:
Robertson, T. S. (1979). Parental mediation of television advertising effects. Journal of Communication, 29(1), 12-25.

A research article that explicitly states parental mediation theory is:
Clark, L. S. (2011). Parental Mediation Theory for the Digital Age. Communication Theory, 21(4), 323-343.

Examples of most recent article(s) referring to the this construct:
Harrison, K., Liechty, J. M., & The STRONG Kids Program. (2012). US Preschoolers’ Media Exposure and Dietary Habits: The primacy of television and the limits of parental mediation. Journal of Children and Media, 6(1), 18-36.
Chicago

Related theoretic constructs or families of theory: parental mediation doesn’t belong to a family of theories

Keywords typically be associated with this construct: media exposure, endorsement, counter-reinforcement, positive/negative mediation, control-oriented, active mediation, restrictive mediation, co-viewing