Dr. Pam Rutledge: what I do and how I think. Media Psychology PhD program 2018 Summer New Student Orientation. Fielding Graduate University.

1. FieldingGraduateUniversity
2018 NSO
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
prutledge@fielding.edu@pamelarutledge

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Communications and graphic
designer
Business school
Clinical psychology
Media psychology
My Journey
I got my PhD,
so can you!

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Publications & Stuff
.

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Areas of Interest • BrandPsychology
• BrandArchetypes
• ConstructingandTellingBrandStories
• AudienceProfiling
• AudienceNeeds&Goals
• AudienceArchetypes
• CustomerJourney/ExperienceMapping
• Audience/Content/PlatformCoherence
• TransmediaStorytelling
• MotivationofMigration
• MaintainingaNarrativeZone
• NarrativePersuasion/Presence
• Metaphors,emotionsandmeaning
• PositivePsychology
• Empowermentvs.DeficitMedia
Experience
• Strengths,resilience&efficacy
Where does reality
fall short?
Where do media &
technology support
human flourishing?

5. HOW I THINK

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Many Factors
Influence Media
Experience
Mental models (beliefs)
Personal relevance
Positive emotion
Explicit narrative structure
§ Conflict/Goal
§ Archetypes/Identification
§ Veracity vs. verisimilitude
Implicit narratives
§ Identity, Self representation
§ Agency
§ Aesthetics
§ Instinct (desire, approach/avoid)
§ Emotion
§ Affiliation
§ Social influence
§ Sense of immersion/transportation

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Theoretical
Foundations
§ Neuroscience -Triune Brain heuristic
§ The primacy of social connection
§ Self-determination theory
§ Social influence

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Instinct (Reptilian brain)
Emotion (Paleo-mammalian or
limbic system)
Rational (Neo-mammalian or
neo-cortex)
THINK OF THE BRAIN IN
THREE PARTS: TRIUNE
BRAIN THEORY
The reptilian brain has simple
criteria:
pain or gain?
It works from what it knows
Reptilian Brain
Makes 95% Of
All Decisions

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The primacy of social:
Rutledge translation of
Maslow’s Hierarchy
http://www.pamelarutledge.com/2011/11/08/social-networks-what-maslow-misses/

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Self-Determination
Theory
Autonomy
Mastery
Relatedness
§ Empowerment
à Control
à Can take action
§ Self-efficacy
àEffective
àBelief in ability to
meet challenges
§ Social connection
à Affiliation
àValidation
à Belonging

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Cialdini’s
Six Principles of
Social Influence
Reciprocity
§ Restaurant mints & tips - First to give, personalize
Scarcity
§ People want more of what they can get less of -
triggers loss fears
Authority
§ People follow lead of authority, i.e. display
credentials, uniform - signals of credibility
Consistency
§ Ego-consonance – asking for small commitment so
follow on asks are consistent
Liking
§ We say yes to those we like: similarity,
complimentary, shared goals
Consensus/Social Proof
§ Led by actions of others

12. SPECIAL
PROJECTS

13. Data: Twitter 1722 no RT, Facebook 36,913, Instagram
566 [data from Operam] and YouTube.893 [data from
Netlytic]. Time period 1/19/2018-1/21/2018.
Comparison Movie: I Feel Pretty. Twitter 2744 no RT;
Facebook 73,368 Time period: 2/8/2018-2/10/2018.
Qualitative Analysis

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General familiarity:
director, cast, history,
funding
Cognitive acknowledgement: Sequel is
finally here. Dream come true.Emotional engagment:
So excited it’s coming.
Can’t wait.
Engage memory:
Reminisce old movie
Recall and recycle old jokes:
Meow, liter of cola, Maple syrup,
etc. Express desire to
see; make plans
with others
Pathway to affiliation &
identity
Increased Emotion
Shows Greater
Commitment
• Progression amplified by
reminiscences, esp. jokes
• Sharing in-jokes is a way of signaling
fandom and creating affiliation
• Recall triggers the earlier emotional
attachment, consciously and
somatically
• This is common in cult films as jokes
become catch phrases re friends.

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Humor and the
Benign Violation
Theory
§ Humor both cognitive and emotional
§ Triggers dopaminergic reward center
§ Jokes start with a violation
§ Our brains are hardwired to notice
violations as part of our survival system.
§ Not all violations are funny
§ Too scary or real = not funny
§ Benign = funny
§ Too benign = boring
§ Benign = personal relevance,
distance, change in interpretation
§ Evolution = humor signals safety
(play vs. attack) and well-being

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ACTIVE
RELAXED
FRIENDLY &
SOCIAL
PERSONAL &
REFLECTIVE
DM
BLOGS
PINTEREST
INSTAGRAM
SNAPCHAT
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
HOW PLATFORMS AND
MEDIA FORMAT MATTER
Every platform has a personality that can be
mapped onto the psychological dynamics of
users needs goals and expectations.
Expectations include content type and use
style.

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ACTIVE
RELAXED
FRIENDLY &
SOCIAL
PERSONAL &
REFLECTIVE
SNAPCHAT
ZONE OF INFLUENCE
Conceptualizing consumer behavior,
needs and goals as a range or zone
rather than a specific use allows for
the inclusion of use expectations
moderated by context, such as
temporal factors (time of day, fatigue,
etc.), competing opportunities, social
influence and personality.

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Kingsman 2Analysis
Media type influenced the count and
emotional expression of audience
responses. Anticipation and affection
highlights characters.
RT
STILL IMAGE
TEXT
VIDEO

23. DISSERTATIONS
IN PROGRESS

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Dissertation Topics
§ Transmedia Storytelling Structure
§ Are there distinct structures in transmedia storytelling that facilitate intratextual
migration?
§ Brand Narratives in Consumer Products
§ How do narratives of loved products influence self-narratives
§ How do brand narratives inform the online Sneaker Culture
§ Entertainment Narratives & Self
§ How do entertainment experiences, such as Hamilton, influence perceptions of
nationalism and belonging among diverse audiences?
§ How do African American actors in reality TV influence African Americans’
understanding of social norms?
§Social Media
§ How does social media facilitate the grieving process?
§Positive Psychology
§ Does sharing meaning moments on Instagram increase savoring and well being?

25. FOUNDATIONS OF
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY

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Conceptual Questions
§ What is “media”?
§ What are the benefits of applying media psychology?
§ How do beliefs, biases and assumptions influence how we think about media and
technology use and how we approach research?
§ Is there (or should there be) a distinction between online and offline in how we
communicate and make meaning of the world around us?
§ How does the multisensory nature of media impact perception and use?
§ How does a globally and socially networked world influence our understanding of
others and ourselves?
§ How do media and technology impact individuals and groups across cultures,
socioeconomic status, and geography?
§ How do different theories of human behavior inform our approach to developing and
understanding media applications across diverse environments and populations?
§ How can media be used effectively and sensitively to achieve socially constructive
goals?
§ How does narrative form the foundation of communication across all media

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Contact Information
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
prutledge@fielding.edu
Skype: pamelarutledge
Twitter: @pamelarutledge
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pamelarutledge