Media Effects Team Blue

1) Joshua Cantrell(2), Darian McBrayer(0), Cale Meredith(7)
2) The collective network of mass communication including message makers, message distributors, mediums, methods, platforms, form, function, audience, participants, etc.
3) An alteration of thoughts, attitudes, emotions, behaviors, or beliefs either instantaneously or over time. An effect can be actual or perceived.
4) 

1 “Legend of Censorship: Break Down The Walls Effect”

The effect that animated shows (for children under 18) has on what is considered the social norms.

2 “We call ourselves Facebook because Evil Labs Inc. was too obvious effect”

The effects that is caused by big companies running tests on emotions of it’s users/customers.

3 “Men have feelings too effect”

The effect that men are shown more stereotypically the realised.

4 “Sexy Greek God Effect”

The effect that is cause by men’s body image issue in media.

5 “Lies and Lies. People and People. People and Lies.”

The effect that brings in lies to the people in the name of censorship.

6 “Money Fight Effect”

The effect where an election's outcome is determined by money spent on the campaign.

7 "Sleepless is the New Black Effect"

The release of a new Netflix series leads to a decrease in the number of hours slept

8 "In vino veritas Effect"

Presidential debates lead to a rise in the average blood alcohol level

9 “The ‘Screw You Daddy!’ Effect”

The effect that realities shows have on female youth that causes them to act out in a negative manner.

10 “Tumblr is the ‘best’ effect”

The effect where the allure of a site/blog hides it’s negative influence.

5)“Sexy Greek God Effect” (The effect that is cause by men’s body image issue in media.)

Media Effects Team Green

1) Alex Glover (5), Taylor Gibson (6), Lindsay Rance (4), Elessa Boiko (2)

2) Media is a platform and the content to come out of said platform. Examples: Fox News and other news outlets, social media, content creators (Writers/YouTubers/Actors), print and digital content, billboards, advertisement with commercials or paper pamphlets, producers, etc.

3) Effects focus on behavioral change in that they are typically trying to get you to do/buy/feel something, whether that be blatant or subtle. It brings awareness to a topic one might not even be thinking of previously, so the media effects how they feel and act upon the topic. Examples: A commercial that focuses on women's bodies, it makes viewers rethink the way they see body image and how to improve their outlook. Any advertisement on television/billboards/newspapers effects your behavior in that it makes you want to buy something.

4) Competition 1:
Alex Glover - 
1. Hopping Platforms Effect: FaceBook takes over nostalgia with its TimeHop clone. Most people typically don't use TimeHop anymore and primarily view FaceBook for past memories.
2. Know Your Meme Effect: Invisible Children film attempted to shed light on the militaristic leader Kony by spreading awareness. Every social media was flooded with information and news about Kony to the point everyone knew about it and 'Kony 2012' became a meme.
3. #OhSh00t Effect: After a warning posted to 4chan went viral following a shooting at an Oregon university, more copycat posts began appearing online. Several Universities had lockdowns or enhanced security because they were taking the joking threats seriously. They took a serious event and made it into a joke which in turn was taken seriously.
4. Grownup FaceBook Effect: LinkedIn is now a primary tool for hiring and getting jobs. If you don't have a good LinkedIn, people say you will face difficulties landing a job.
5. The Mayan Calendar Effect: The Mayan calendar was ending in 2012, which people took to mean the world would be ending. The media perpetuated the idea to the point there was a blockbuster film that came of it. Obviously we're still around.
Taylor Gibson - 
6. Live From New York It's Total Bullshit Effect: A traditional popular medium (Saturday Night Live) created a skit about Palin that Tina Fey acted in and people began misquoting it and confusing what was really said by Palin and what wasn't. One popular being "I can see Russia from my house" (she never said this!).
7. Gorilla Warfare: A gorilla named Harambe was shot at the Cincinnati Zoo because he grabbed a child. Social media took the situation and turned it into a meme that a majority of the internet participated in. Users showed reverence to the fallen gorilla, but those who took the matter seriously saw it as offensive. It was a meme with a longer than average lifespan, and it blew the actual event out of proportion to the point it became a national issue.
8. Marina Joyce Did 9/11 Effect: A popcorn effect where someone noted that UK vlogger Marina Joyce looked scared in one of her videos, and everyone ran with it making up new ideas including being kidnapped by ISIS, having Schizophrenia, acting crazy for new followers, etc. It blew a normal video out of proportion and into a conspiracy theory that even involved the police.
9. #CutForBeiber Effect: 4chan users created a fake campaign that called for young girls to self harm for Justin Bieber to stop smoking. Young girls flocked to Twitter posting pictures of their bloodied arms to conform to the social event.
10. Y2Krack Pot Effect: The media ran with the idea that the world would end and technology would become corrupted when it hit 2000. People began panicking once the end drew near, but again we're obviously still here. People still reference the event a lot and continue to make jokes.
11. CreepyPasta Effect: The meme Slender Man was taken to a new level when two teenagers attempted to sacrifice a young girl in the woods as a sacrifice to the Slender Man. She is alive.
Lindsay Rance -
12. I'm a Slave 4 Media Portrayals of the Ideal Female Body Effect: Young children, 10 year olds, faced body image issues after watching videos of Britney Spears and Friends back in the 90s.
13. Kickstarter Effect: KickStarter is a platform for crowdfunding that has gone viral in that everyone uses it to fund inspirational aspirations or for stupid inventions.
14. #Likes4Life Effect: Everyone asks for likes on FaceBook, including getting to a million likes to stop a certain behavior from happening.
15. #AwkwardFirstDate Effect: Jimmy Fallon started a hashtag, #AwkwardFirstDate, which got the conversation started on first dates and how to improve them.
Elessa Boiko -
16. Votey McVoteFace Effect: A British company decided to let the public name their Polar research ship. The winner ended up being Boaty McBoatFace.
17. Tit4Tat Effect: A heavily tattooed UK woman went to Korea and was stared at the entire time. This is introspective on how Korea looks at beauty, and how it's a conforming look instead of individuality.

Media Effects Group Assignment

Kaitlin D. (2) Taylor H. (2) Tony Brasch (2) Mark Alison (5)


Define media: The Internet, TV, and newspaper is media.
Define effects: How someone responds to media or the outcome.

Theories:
Certified Effect - Twitter. The certified check mark can give accounts more power or seem more creditable.
 Click bait Effect  - Google. The most popular searches in Google appear first.
Meme Symbol Effect - memes turning into hate symbols by how specific groups use them
Long term effect of sexual exposes - Medias focus on body images has psychological and growth effects
Check mark or egg
The first to know
Broken Mirror
Tell me what to think
Instant Expert
Newsjunkies
Narcissist Effect - Instagram or Snapchat. A human trait that has been capitalized by media.
Easel and a paintbrush in your pocket
 The GTA Effect
My parents are wrong/my parents were right
Boomerang Effect

Ultimate Theory :

Even the guy who sanded George Washington's teeth now has an easel and paintbrush in his pocket

Media Effects In-Class Exercise

Media Effects In-Class Exercise

Duncan Gallagher (4)

Ofelia Alvarenga (2)

Sarah Smith (3)

Most Creative Nomination:  Bourbon Doesn’t Make Me Grow Hair On My Chest

1) The Conversational John Oliver Effect

In 2015, TIME magazine and a few other outlets began describing what they called “The John Oliver Effect”. This is a description of the social and political impact John Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight had upon airing an investigative piece on a particular subject. This effect was said to manifest itself in the ways of crashing websites, inspiring fundraising and awareness campaigns, and even helping the creation, support, awareness, or even repeal of legislation. There is another effect that is less observable, however: Last Week Tonight often introduces topics of conversation friends or coworkers would otherwise never or rarely have. When one person cites a fact they learned on Last Week Tonight, and the other person in the conversation recognizes that the fact was presented on Last Week Tonight, they have just experienced the Conversation John Oliver Effect.

2) The Purely Conservative-Media Consuming Effect

Believing that gays, minorities, and others of differing spiritual beliefs all have secret agendas to dismantle Christianity, the concept of the nuclear-family, western cultural values in general, as well as having a cohesive plan to wage war on Christmas, due to relying solely on Fox News to learn about the world around oneself.

3) The Reverse-Streisand Effect

The phenomenon by which attempts to spread awareness of an issue or topic via social media backfire due to a widespread negative opinion about the topic (or if the topic is simply controversial), and attempts to share or distribute awareness are actively censored and repressed by online communities.

4) The Failed Youth-Outreach Effect

When attempts to reach out to or relate to youth voters by politicians backfires and said youth voters end up disliking the politician even more than they already did.

(Ex: Mitt Romney attempting to sing “Who Let The Dogs Out”, or Hillary Clinton’s “Pokemon Go to the polls” comment)

5) The Porn makes me Hungry Effect

By using a medium that is a considered a“forbidden fruit” or “bad” as  a frame to tell a story of fulfilling desires , the use of porngraphy  provokes behaviors of indulgence. By creating a social norm of  an “”extreme”  indulgence being accepted , individuals may be feel the freedom of practicing “not so bad” behaviors in which their own personal desires are being fulfilled.

6) The I’m moving to Mars with the rich people Effect

By using a medium that is typically considered (social norm) as informative and  conspiracy storytellers, documentaries use the powerful media effects  to persuade viewers that they are being deceived of an opportunity , which then creates a people’s choice effect. Individuals are now experiencing the Lasswell’s  propaganda theory effect of being informed and being part of a certain group.

7) Bourbon Doesn’t Make Me Grow Hair On My Chest

Mila Kunis is the face of Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon. The commercial is incredibly sexy and appeals to women. Typically, bourbon and whiskey are associated with men who enjoy this barrel aged distilled spirit. In a sense, this commercial defies stereotypical gender norms. As a female who has a great appreciation for Bourbon, Whiskey, and Scotch, it is refreshing to see that Bourbon is being marketed to not such a gender specific consumer.

8) Starbucks Is My New Handbag

Starbucks doesn’t do a whole lot of advertising. Why would they when you turn on the television and every member of the Kardashian clan is toting around their coveted cup of coffee with the infamous green mermaid siren on the cup? Have we been primed to frequent starbucks to the point of addiction?

9) I Want The Latest And Greatest

The Iphone 6 came out, everyone had to rush out and grab one! The Iwatch 2 came out, same scenario! Finally, the Iphone 7 has arrived with bionic earbuds! Despite the fact that the Iphone 6 came out, people are ready to abandon it for the latest and greatest technology. This must be our fixed mindset as Americans wanting the newest and most advanced in tech toys.

Media Effects Team Red

MEDIA EFFECTS

Samantha Ragsdale (6), Shumaila Kidwai (2), Natalie Tomanek (3) , Shane Lee (5)

Define and give examples of “media” (i.e., is it a content producer, a platform, a device or what?)

Media is the message and content being shared from a platform.

Define and give examples of “effects” (i.e., What do you consider an effect? Attitude change or reinforcement? Behavioral change or reinforcement?, etc.)

The alteration of behavior, perception, or attitude. It creates a change in social and psychological aspects.

Competition #1 - Examples of Effects:

1. “The Attack of Children Effect” Video games could potentially cause young children to become more violent as they mature.
2. “The Kim K Wanna Be Effect” Images of photo-shopped celebrities and models could lead young women to develop a skewed body image.
3. “It’s Complicated! Effect” The dysfunctional images of relationships portrayed on television shows and movies may lead people to believe that that kind of treatment is acceptable from a significant other.
4. “Its 2016 ya’ll Effect” Television and movies reinforces outdated gender roles and expectations which leads to slower advancement of those issues.
5. “Cell Phone Anonymous Effect” Social media causes young people to increasingly become more addicted to their phone.
6. “@ me next time Effect” A rise in social media use in younger, developing teens, can lead to higher rates of bullying online.
7. “Tell Me Who I Am Effect” Media representation of race creates a stereotype.
8. “Call Now and Confirm Persuasion Tactics!” Persuasive principles (Cialdini) are used to get people to act/behave a certain behavior. Example - Infomercials - They use various principles to get people to buy their product (social proof, scarcity, etc.). 
9. Empathy Activation - By empathizing with the content, we are more inclined to want to act on those feelings. Examples - Those sad dog videos or donating to help starving children in africa commercials.
10. Social Learning -  individuals do not need to personally act out a behavior to learn it; they can learn from observation. Example - Love has no labels commercials. They construe advertisements that show that we should love everyone equally (gender, sexuality, race, etc.).
11. Messenger and texting - causes crashes
12. “Creating Bridezilla Effect” (Pinterest causes unrealistic expectations)
13. “Show me the likes!” Desiring more likes on Facebook affects our perpetual want for approval and affirmation. 
14. “Me, Myself and I Effect“ Facebook and Instagram causes a narcissistic and egotistical mindset. 
15. “............ SQUIRREL! Effect” Social media causes a short attention span.
16. Subliminal messages in movies influences us subtly. 
17. Media sets the example of what is “cool” in society, which creates a stigma regarding certain aspects. 
18. Depressing content in the news causes people to think the world is terrible. 
19. The number of followers we have affects our self esteem.
20. Filters create a skewed perception of ourselves.
21. Free apps makes us greedy.
22. Music affects our mood and views on life. 
23. “If it’s on the internet, then it must be true!” the information being presented online affects our ability to think about if it’s true or not. 

Competition #2:

“............ SQUIRREL! Effect” Social media causes a short attention span.

Media Effects Group 2

1. Alexandra (2), Jeremy (2), and Jamie (4)
2. Media

Definitions:

• Merriam Webster definition: “the system and organizations of communication through which information is spread to a large number of people”

• A system in place for users to both gain and give information

-internet, social media platforms, news programming

• A sharing network that connects individuals to the greater world
• Different sources and platforms used to share news to the world

Examples:

• Social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. - more personal interaction, tailored to your interests
• News channels: CNN, MSNBC, Fox News - “official” news sources that focus on most notable events
• Content creators: YouTube personalities, bloggers - people not directly tied to major news sources   

3. Effects    

Definitions:

• Merriam Webster Definition: “a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.”

• The reaction a user has to media
• How an individual is influenced to action by a piece of media

Examples:

• Change in opinions, viewpoints

4. Our Effects

1.Video Games exacerbate young child’s bad mood/poor outlook on life adding to depressive thoughts and bad behaviour

Aggravation (Preceding) Theory→ Person’s prior emotional/mental state being aggravated and will have direct effect for some period of time over preceding environment’s stimulus  

Based on Priming Theory

Media: Video Game

Effect: Aggravates already depressed child’s mood preceding playing a video game. Behavioral aggravation in an increasingly positive or negative manner

2. Oldest Child who doesn’t have an older sibling to look up to looks to media (TV and magazines) for social cues, personality shaping, goals, etc...

Eldest Role Model Theory→ Media use is purposeful to created a role and role model figure to emulate having moderate to powerful effects on character and personality shaping.

Based on User and Gratifications having Moderate to Powerful Effects

Media: TV and magazines

Effects: Personality development and outlook attributive effects

Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-media-psychology-effect/201203/brain-behavior-and-media 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/influence-of-social-media-on-teenagers_b_7427740.html

3. “I want my life to be on Television” Theory- A person’s need to share every bit of drama, or information in their life, in order to receive a certain reaction. By oversharing, a person is is expecting a emotional based, solving reaction from others, as seen on television programming. (ex. One may post about their bad day, hoping someone will give a reaction helping the situation. Expecting a greater result from ranting.)

4. Multiple Platform Viewing Theory- A person is able to gain more information while viewing media on a number of platforms at once, while not retaining a majority of the information gained, as if just watching one source. (can be watching television programming, while watching sports on phone, and tweeting on computer, will know what’s being viewed, or discussed, but won’t gain anything from viewing all aspects

5. Harambe Effect - when the global political climate is so tumultuous that society collectively decides to “memeify” and fixate on a bizarre, largely inconsequential news story (ex: the Harambe meme that blew up in summer 2016, a year of extreme political and racial tension as a distraction from more important world events)        

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/harambe-the-gorilla

Media: various platforms/websites, mainstream/traditional media

Effects: cultural distraction, over-politicization of a non-political event  

6. Meme Lag - the time between the inception of a meme in the fringes of the internet to blowing up on major sites; typically by the time the meme reaches the mainstream, the creating group has moved on to a new meme and has “disowned” the old meme or finds use of it embarrassing (ex: Health and Human Services using the “doge” meme in 2014, several years after the meme was coined and became widespread)

Media: various platforms/websites  

Effect: profound divide between organically produced content and forced content from businesses and latecomers, cultural need to be “first” to something (the hottest new meme)  

7. Platform Shift - when a platform introduces new features or changes old ones, the way people communicate on the platform begins to change (ex: Twitter introducing the ability to retweet yourself and quote tweets allowed users greater flexibility in the ways they used the site to express themselves and communicate)

Media: Twitter

Effect: change in communication patterns

8. Beauty Guru Effect - the more unclear someone is about paid advertising on their platform, the more distrustful people become of their opinion

http://www.xojane.com/beauty/advertising-youtube-beauty-girls-zoella-bethany-mota

Media: YouTube, blogs

Effect: Loss of viewers/readers, loss of credibility

Guardians, Gatekeepers, and Spin Doctors

After reading our agenda setting readings, I instantly thought of this video.

My sister showed me this video last spring. Derren Brown primed these two men by subtlety providing the details for the “Animal Heaven” advertisement on the drive to the office. I remember being amazed by the power of subliminal messages. Brown expertly wielded this power to show how advertisements unconsciously get ingrained in our minds for a short period. Essentially, one person, through advertising, can decide what your brain takes in. In politics, they call these people agenda setters. Agenda setters, just like Derren Brown, tell the public what to think about.

In the first reading, Agenda-Setting Function, McCombs and Shaw call agenda setters: news editors, guardians, gatekeepers, decision makers, media handlers, and spin doctors. That is a lot of varied definitions for one job. Additionally, having my news edited by a spin doctor does not sound comforting.

In the second reading, Craig Timberg says, “Search engines have the potential to profoundly influence voters without them noticing the impact.” I find this even more frightening. Ads influence your thoughts while an algorithm influences your vote.

Is this right? Microsoft and Yahoo say no, but Google says, “Providing relevant answers has been the cornerstone of Google’s approach to search from the very beginning.” But this begs the question, what is relevant? Doesn’t that depend on the person? A Republican would say every fetus is a life. A Democrat would say a woman’s right to choose is important. Both stances are relevant to their individual platforms.

Google is Derren Brown. Throughout our day Google shows us ads and gives us “relevant” news. Intentionally or unintentionally Google creates its own agenda through subliminal messages. 

Google For President

In the article “Research in India suggests Google search results can influence an election - The Washington Post” I read about how Google is affecting the elections. There is a strong case made that Google does affect elections but I have my doubts on strongly it does. I would like to be able to to review the work. Such as the statistic that were taken. How many test were done before he got these results? What was the Type I and Type II error of the test? What was the critical value he was measuring against to prove his results were significant enough to matter to prove his hypothesis. Even besides the test we, as in the students, have learned about Google and algorithm gatekeepers that only show information an individual would want to see. As the article goes on other information and stats are provided for us to see. What we are missing is information on outside influences. These other outside factors may be contributing just as much as Google is to the election. Google may influence elections but I feel more research needs to be done to say it influences and significantly as stated in the article.

Dress for Success

Phrases such as dress for success and you are what you think comes to mind after reading today's assignments.  The white coat article,  I  was reminded of a paper I wrote about how fashion throughout time contribute to the identification of social classes.  The article kind f help with that thought because of the status of the "white coat". I agree that what you wear can influence a person's psyche. I mean Christian Louboutin has maximized in this theory, Give a girl a pair of red soles shoes, she will be unstoppable. Of course , she would need to know about the status behind the pair  of shoes , but none the less, she would walk in a room and own it.  Is it the shoes or or the implications behind them, that gives this feeling to the wearer? I, myself, have not worn pjs to take a test during college , but however, I wore my sister's old scrubs she gave  to me while she was in nursing school. Did I work in the room with a sort of "swag", yes, I felt confident during the day on college campus just by the idea that perhaps my fellow classmates were led to believe I was going to school to be a doctor." Wow, she must be smart" was one of the things that pass through my mind. In the article of mama was right..I kind of agree. I don't see how this would be priming but if it involves addressing data that would back up a claim, then i can see how this would fit in that space. The headline was kind of alluring and a little misguiding but I get the jest. It caught my attention, but once you read the rest you can see how the author tries to convince readers how the topic is "backed up " with logical and scientific data, helping to persuade readers that the article may have some weight.

Denying our legacy

With regard to the articles on enclothed cognition, or how what we wear affects not only how others see us, but how we feel about ourselves, it seems pretty simple to understand. It's natural to feel more prepared for whatever the task is if one is wearing the appropriate uniform, or any attire that breeds confidence and positivity. This is nothing new; ancient civilizations had uniforms and task-specific attire that was worn. It is part of our legacy that we still hold onto, psychologically. Because despite all of the cognitive evolution we undergo, we are still just animals.

That's why the concept of processed food being less healthy than natural food makes a lot of sense. After all, animals in the wild don't have manufacturing plants for mass-produced food. Part of this is because they haven't evolved to the level of human beings in able to be capable of such a task, as well as having limited, if any, concept of currency. Part of the reason is also that animals, probably due to their limited cognitive ability for philosophy, simply accept things "the way they are".

That brings to mind the article on gender roles/threats to masculinity. For example, the article said that "being the breadwinner has been a linchpin of masculinity for decades". Decades? This is something that is in our DNA as human beings, from the time when the male's sole responsibility was to conquer and kill the food for his family. "Bringing home the bacon" so to speak. To say that this is only a "decades-old" concept is arbitrary and shortsighted. Also, the article says that "cooking has become a more acceptable form of housework for men in the last fifteen years". This number also seems extremely arbitrary. Where the did the writer come up with fifteen years?

The writer also says that many men will "symbolically reinforce their masculinity by doing less housework" when their wife earns more money. Perhaps they are just lazy? Couldn't that be why they earn less money and do less housework?

Lastly, the writer claims that masculinity can be "redefined" in order to promote equal rights for LGBT individuals. While this is a noble cause, and worth pursuing, I don't understand what it has to do with masculinity, either traditionally or with an evolved mindset. It implies that all LGBT individuals, inherently, do not possess or desire traditional masculine qualities which is a generalization, and therefore a flawed argument.

Do Clothes Really Make the Man?

After reading The New York Times article about how clothing can bring about certain behaviors, I was reminded about the Zimbardo experiment (a.k.a. The Stanford Prison Experiment) that was done in 1971.

In a nutshell, Zimbardo wanted to study whether or not prison guard brutality was due to the personalities of the officers, or if it was due to the environment itself. The study consisted of 21 students from Stanford University, who were promised 15 dollars each day they were in the study. 10 of these students played the role of prisoners while 11 students played the guards. In the end, they had to shut down the experiment two weeks early because of the increase of mental breakdowns between the "prisoners." This was a result of the "prison guards" behaving aggressively towards the prisoners, but what caused this behavior in the first place?

There were multiple reasons why the "guards" conformed to their roles so well, but for the sake of this post the reason I want to focus on are the uniforms that the guards had to wear during the experiment. All the guards were issued the same uniform: khaki shirt and shorts, a billy club, a whistle, and tinted sunglasses. This uniform, when compared to the uniform of the "prisoners," portrayed superiority. The sunglasses in particular not only meant that the prisoners couldn't look into the eyes of the guards, but that the guards' true identities were hidden. This influenced the guards in the way they behaved towards the prisoners in the experiment. Even though they were all students of the same school and both groups were getting paid the same amount, the guards dominated the prisoners. I don't think they would have behaved in the same way if they had to wear their normal, everyday clothes.

Now obviously this is an extreme example of how our clothing can influence our behavior, but it is interesting to see how much it can actually affect us. In my own personal life for example, when I put on an outfit that I think looks awesome I walk out of the house feeling confident. If I go to school looking "sloppy," I feel tired throughout the day and I go home with the desire to shower and go straight to sleep. I am a firm believer that how we dress can affect our moods and our behavior on a day-to-day basis.

Priming: Enclothed Perception

I found the article on enclothed cognition extremely interesting. The article talks about the effect certain clothes, or the perception of those clothes, have on those wearing or seeing them. This theory can be seen firsthand on any basketball court. When a player is wearing a jersey, cool shoes, and other accessories seen in the NBA, they have higher confidence and often seem as if they are a better player to the opponent. By wearing gear that is worn also by famous NBA players, anyone will have higher confidence about their game, when wearing the same items.  This is not the case when a player gets on the court in normal street clothes. This has an effect on the players own perception, and their perception of others of the game being played. This is also affected by which player’s gear you are wearing. Wearing the items worn by LeBron James has a different effect on wearing generic basketball gear. By wearing these items even a terrible player can think they are a lot better than they truly are.

An effect on the opponent can also be seen, as the gear being worn can make the opponent think higher of the player wearing the clothing. By having a high number of gear, the opponent will assume that player has higher experience, and uses the gear properly to advance their game. The article talks about how the theory works with a doctor’s lab coat. They look at multiple factors including, how the person wearing it is perceived, and if it has any effect on their psychological processes. The highest improvement seen was in attention. On a basketball court, the same effect would be seen in the player’s strength and confidence in their game.

I stand by this theory first hand. Any time I play basketball, I put on a pair of Jordan’s, a jersey, sweatbands, and high socks and arms sleeves. This may not make me a better player, but it makes me think I am, along with putting initial fear in the opponent. I may be terrible at basketball, but wearing the proper gear makes even a nonathletic, out of shape, Jewish boy like me seem good at basketball.

Enclothed cognition, what I've been missing this entire time.

I'm glad that researchers and people who name things came up with the term "embodied cognition." Now finally, I know the term for the strange effects clothing and actions can have on your behavior and mindset. We've all felt different depending on the clothes we wear. When you have to dress well for an occasion or special meeting or an interview, you feel different. It's tough to explain, but you feel better about yourself and your self-image. Usually that converts into confidence which then affects your actions. Looking in the mirror at yourself and going "damn!" can change everything. More often than that, I'll have days where I'm behind on laundry, and considering my limited wardrobe I'm forced to wear a shirt that even I don't like that much. I feel like that can erode confidence. "Enclothed cognition" is something I can immediately recognize as having experienced.

It reminds me of once upon a time. A few years ago during early college days at UNT, a friend of mine would always wear a nice suit or button-down shirt every day to class. In an environment where many students just threw on whatever clothes they had quickly available, he always spent the extra time and money to make sure he always had nice clothes to wear. Many would ask him why, and he'd respond with something like "It just makes me feel better." Perhaps I didn't understand then because I thought Pink Floyd t-shirts were awesome dude and would attract many ladies, but his reasoning makes complete sense to me now. He went on to graduate from UNT and to a nice career, was that the secret?? He was a smart guy and personable, so his clothes weren't the only factor.....unless the only reason I saw him as that was because of his clothes! Maybe we would've never even become friends if he wore t-shirts and jeans! Maybe he never would've graduated and....etcetera. 

I'm just glad to have a few terms to address this all by now. Maybe I'll go drop some money on clothes and wear fancy stuff every day. Perhaps I could start a crowdfunding campaign, it would be research after all.

Priming in Politics

Taking into consideration what priming means and the current presidential election, I found Dan Cassino's study very interesting because it explains in further detail why people are supporting republican presidential candidate Donald Trump although his positions and his comments on issues are hostile and most of the time, unreasonable. An analysis by the Washington Post found that most of Trump's supporters were male, white and poor; taking this into account, then the media that the Trump/Pence campaign is releasing is very important because it is priming audiences to believe a certain way in order to gain a response that will lead to the support of Donald Trump.

Donald Trump Jr. uploaded the following ad on his Twitter account in attempt to explain the Syrian refugee crisis in 'simple terms'. This ad is an example of how the Trump campaign is seeking the approval and appealing to their main audience of uneducated white males. If the Trump campaign starts to advertise themselves as a way for men to keep their 'masculinity' then they can potentially gain more supporters on the basis that keeping a female out of office, can keep the threat of feeling less masculine low.

Although Cassino did mention that there is hope in fixing this masculine versus feminine mindset, it is scary to think that people can be primed to believe and thus behave a certain way in order to accommodate the social norm placed by the media presented and/or behavior of others. Since men do "often react in... strong ways to what they see as threats to their masculine identities" it is nice to see that Cassino found that young liberal men are changing that behavior by starting to create a future mindset that both male and female are equal and neither gender is better than the other.

Challenge Accepted

I've never really put much thought into the clothes I chose to wear on a test day. The idea that your clothing and test results may correlate, "although a direct correlation between clothing and test results hasn’t been proven" says Chenetski,  is an interesting factor to think about. When I put on clothes that I feel good and comfortable in, it does raise my confidence. Therefore, it would make sense that my confidence when taking a test would also increase. With an upcoming exam I plan to put this to the test and see how I do. Also, when I dress-up I feel more confident and able to complete whichever tasks I need to mark off more effectively. It makes me wonder how much of a difference my day would be if looking like a hot mess versus trying to put effort into your appearance. Would I feel more motivated to knock-off tasks? Would I still procrastinate when I know I shouldn't be? I think I will try to take this challenge and see what happens. 

Priming and Gender Constructs

Society has ingrained in us these concepts of what is “feminine” and what is “masculine.” Sometimes when people break through these socially created gender constructs they make us feel uncomfortable or confused by these nonconforming actions. Along with these gender constructs, there is this idea of the patriarchal system in which men have dominance over women. In this hierarchy, men are seen as having more advantages over women in social, economic, and political institutions. In regards to the reading about men feeling threatened by women accomplishing more than them, I can see and understand why men may feel and react this way. These changes primes men into accessing these schemas that were formulated by societal ideals. They no longer feel that they have control over women like they’re supposed to, and it makes them “uncomfortable or confused.” Are these reactions based on conscious or subconscious beliefs?

The idea of priming makes me wonder about how much control we have over our actions and thoughts. Whether we realize this or not, we are surrounded by many stimuli wherever we go and we are constantly being influenced because of this. When I think about it, reading this article primed me to recall information I learned in a different class in order to make these gender associations. Priming is an interesting effect, and it makes me wonder about the different ways we can use this concept to benefit ourselves or others.

You Never Know Who You Are Going to See

The article relating to dressing well and testing scores stuck out most predominantly because of my love for fashion. You most likely will not see me dressed down, and especially you will not see me without make up. I am a strong believer to always look presentable, approachable, and well cute!

My mother always and still preaches to me that, "you never know who you are going to see." Even if you are running errands throughout the day, that is the most prominent time to run into that old boss or maybe even an ex-lover! OH the horror to think that you may not look your best, and obvious that you are in fact, not doing better!

Pairing the right top with your footwear is not only about looking awesome, but the way that one dresses is one way to express their personality! What I decide to wear is a physical representation of who I am and I enjoy expressing myself, because what is the point of looking the same as everyone else? From the article, Hannah points out the likely correlation that what you wear could potentially help you on exam day. She states that there is no proven fact yet, but does hint at the underlying effects that apparel may have on one's self-esteem. I, in fact must agree with this statement presented. For presentations, one is told to "dress your best" for numerous reasons. To look professional, pleasant to watch, and one that I will elaborate on the most, is the fact to feel confident. I don't know about you, but I honestly would not buy anything from someone wearing sweat pants and a mismatched shirt. In order to feel confident one must psychologically and physically meet their own personal standards. So if you are trying to pitch an idea, not only should you feel internally good about yourself, but a good appearance can play a role in one's overall confidence. Get your audience nice and buttered up while you happen to be "killing" the presentation because your outfit is on point and the whole class is interested in what YOU have to say.
In relation to media effects and priming, how well do you think your audience would remember your presentation according to your confidence level? Although the correlation has not been directly proven on this matter, the overall context must flicker a light bulb.

It's All About Mindset

It’s all about mindset. The day you’re going to have is the day you prepare yourself for. If you wake up in the morning with a negative outlook, I promise you will have a bad day. That’s one of the reasons Monday’s have such a stereotype. Nobody wants their weekend to end so they wake up Monday morning dreading the day since it’s no longer Sunday. Because society labels it as a “Monday,” you treat it as such. This example goes back to the priming idea. Monday’s are labeled as “tiresome” and “start of a long week” and because of this, you have that mindset the entire day. On the contrary, Friday’s are labeled the complete opposite and typically enjoyed much more than Monday’s. But, if we woke up every Monday treating it like a Friday, would our Monday’s become different?

Referencing the article, “Opinion: Dress well, test well mantra gives confidence, results on exam day," I just want to say that I completely agree with this author. I have always said that if you dress well, you feel better about your day. It goes back to how you approach your day. I have noticed that when I throw on a pair of jeans rather than a pair of sweats, I am way more productive with my day – maybe because I’m not constantly thinking about jumping back in bed. How we look ultimately ties back to how we feel, not only about ourselves, but for the day. Confidence is key; and everyone feels more confident when they look and feel their best.

Priming is such an influential aspect due to the fact that humans are so malleable. For example, in "Mind Games: Sometimes a White Coat Isn't Just a White Coat" people perceived the same white coat differently whether it belonged to a doctor or a painter. But oddly enough, I do that in my daily lifestyle. When I'm not feeling confident in the look I'm wearing, I'll change my feeling towards it by changing my outlook. For example, if I'm wearing leggings and a workout tank with no makeup on and my hair up, instead of feeling as un-put together as I look, I'll embrace a more positive persona. Such as, someone who is super athletic, who probably just left pilates class. Another example is when you wear all black; instead of viewing is as simple, think of it as chic. It's such a silly thing to do, but when give off that type of persona, you start to believe it yourself and have much more confidence. 

So to summarize everything I just said, I'm going to reference the first sentence of this post - It's all about mindset.