Jennifer jennifer@fielding.edu

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MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY.
Pamela Rutledge, PhD, MBA
NSO September 2018

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What do you want to know?
AGENDA
1
2
3
4
How I got here & what I think about
How I work with students
The stuff that fires me up

3. Communications and graphic
designer
Business school
Clinical psychology
Media psychology
MY JOURNEY TO…
I got
my
PhD!

4. Communications and graphic
designer
Business school
Clinical psychology
PhD in Psychology
Specialization: Media
… FIELDING
If
Shack
could
do it, so
could I!

5. PUBLICATIONS & STUFF
.

6. AREAS OF INTEREST
• Brand Psychology
• Audience Profiling
• Transmedia Storytelling
• Narrative
Persuasion/Presence
• Positive Psychology

7. HOW I THINK

8. IT’S EVOLUTIONARY
MY DEAR WATSON

9. 95%
REPTILIAN BRAIN
MAKES
OF ALL
DECISIONS

10. SOCIAL RULES
RUTLEDGE TRANSLATION OF
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
http://www.pamelarutledge.com/2011/11/08/social-networks-what-maslow-misses/

11. Where does
reality
fall short?
Where do media &
technology support
human flourishing?

12. THEORETICAL
FOUNDATIONS
Instinct
Connection
Meaning
Potential

13. WHAT I TEACH:
• Foundations of Media Psychology PSY533
• Brand Psychology & Transmedia Storytelling
(MSC566)*
• Applied storytelling, meaning construction and narrative
persuasion
• Audience Engagement (MSC568)*
• Using motivation and needs theory to construct audience
personas for messages that resonate
• Positive Psychology (PSY777)*
• Use and development of media to support human growth and
flourishing
*Co-lead on two concentrations: 1) Brand Psych & 2) Positive Psychology

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As anAdvisor/Faculty Mentor
1. Check in about course selection
2. Brain storming about general interests and
classes/projects to meet goals
3. Support research
4. Brainstorming
5. Course feedback
6. Research Practicum
7. Media Practicum
8. Chair, Reader & Methodologist (sp. Qualitative)
WORKING WITH STUDENTS
As Faculty
QEs & Dissertations

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My Process: Interactive Support
1. Funnel Approach (QE)
1. General area of interest
2. Explore related research; get familiar with the voices
2. Pre-Proposal
1. Continue to brainstorm and focus area of research
2. Develop prototype questions and test:
1. Are they answerable?
2. Are they feasible?
3. Is there a so what?
4. Who else has looked at similar questions and how did they do it?
3. RQ (may not be final), general methodological approach and rationale
4. Develop structure, identify gaps for full proposal, bring in 2nd reader
3. Proposal
1. Identify actual question, integrate methodologist to hone “recipe” and IRB process
2. Confirm structure and content, send to committee

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DISSERTATIONS
IN PROGRESS

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

18. FOUNDATIONS
OF MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY

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CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS
§ What are the benefits of media psychology?
§ How do beliefs, biases and assumptions influence research?
§ How does a networked world influence our understanding of
others and ourselves?
§ How do media and technology impact cultures, socioeconomic
status, and geography?
§ How do different theories of human behavior inform our
approach?
§ How can media be used effectively and sensitively to achieve
socially constructive goals?

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https://learning.fielding.edu/course/view.php?id=3280&section=0

21. SPECIAL PROJECTS

22. 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.
AUDIENCE INSIGHTS:

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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

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