Work

Lost in a Maze? On the Philosophical Problems With Differential and Individual-Level Susceptibility in Research on Media Effects

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This paper provides a philosophical discussion of moderators and person-specific differences (referred to as “hedges”) in research on media effects. It is shown that while, historically, the reliance on hedges has been regarded as a sign of theoretical sophistication (the “hedges-as-progress-perspective”), it has left the field behind in a maze of epistemological problems. The paper therefore urges to reinterpret the role of hedges as a sign of theoretical resilience instead of sophistication (the “hedges-as-protection-perspective”). This shift is shown to have substantive implications for how one describes and evaluates media effects research—not just its history, but also its current state and its ambitions going into the future.

Source: Communication Research

DOI: 10.1177/00936502241287018

Author: Lennert Coenen

Institution: Tilburg University

Language: English

Topic: Media Studies and Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,700

Funder: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek