You will be attending an upcoming psychological conference on psychology and mass media. While packing for the conference, you are struck by a particular advertisement you see on television. You have seen this same product advertised in magazines, on the radio, on billboards, and on the Internet. This commercial has you thinking more about the interplay between psychology and mass media. You decide to analyze the advertising campaign and use it as an example during the conference. This analysis will form the Key Assignment for this course.

As your final project (Key Assignment), you will analyze a product campaign to fully demonstrate your understanding of the effects and impacts of propaganda using a psychosocial perspective and media research, social influence, persuasion, and attitude change on society. You will also examine how your own behaviors are influenced by popular media and mass communication.

For this week’s assignment, you will write a paper (57 pages) in APA format (including at least 2 scholarly references) on the following:

• Discuss your understanding of the media effects of the campaign, and include information on the following:
  • Micro-level effects: How does the campaign affect individuals?
  • Macro-level effects: How does the campaign affect groups or communities?
• Identify a minimum of 2 research articles on related media effects that have been studied in the past as they relate to individuals, groups, and your product or similar products.
• Include any media research and available data that are specifically related to your product and the advertising campaign.

• Evaluate socio-psychological perspectives that further our understanding of persuasion and propaganda.
• Explore the interactions between psychology and the many forms of media available.
• Examine the ways that individuals perceive, interpret, use, and respond to information and images in mass media.