Oct 24, 2026  
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

PSYC 278 - Media Psychology


When Offered: F, S, SS

3 Credit(s)
3 Lecture Hour(s)
0 Lab Hour(s)

This course will provide an overview of the primary areas of media psychology and will explore how individuals interact with and are affected by mass media (magazines, television, video games, internet, etc.). Students will apply various theories of media influence and evaluate research strategies used to measure media effects. The course will investigate the messages that different media genres communicate about health, relationships, and stereotypes, and the ways children, adolescents, and adults interpret these messages. Students will also evaluate current controversies about media use and well-being, and develop policy recommendations based on the existing literature.

Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101  or PSYC 110 .