Media Psychology

Are you interested in how media affects our daily lives in increasing and varying ways, both on individual, and societal level? Then our contemporary, interesting, and yet challenging minor Media Psychology which consists of six hands-on modules is for you!  This minor offers a scientific insight into human behavior, thoughts, and feelings experienced in the context of both media creation and use. It will furthermore offer you a solid foundation in media psychology and is a perfect fit for all study programs.

Admission

For this minor there are no entry requirements. The minor is taught in English; therefore, you should be competent in reading and writing English texts.  

The Examination Board determines which minors do not have a higher professional education level and/or have an unacceptable overlap with the compulsory curriculum of your own study programme. Check at the page Not allowed minor courses under your institute which minors are not allowed. This page will be updated from 29 February 2024 for the 2024-2025 minor offer. 

Content

Media psychology draws heavily from fields such as psychology and communication, however, it also incorporates research from fields such as sociology, media studies, anthropology, and fan studies. In our Media Psychology minor you will learn how the media and our ever-increasing use of technology affects how we perceive, interpret, respond, and interact with the world around us. There is a solid theoretical basis, but you will also work on interesting and relevant assignments/projects individually and with fellow students.   

Interesting topics that will be encountered include amongst mass media and mass persuasion, cognitive psychology, media and culture, psychological effects of media, cyber psychology for example AI and robotics and how the media frames events and issues in the media.    

Learning objectives

During this minor programme, you (learn to): 

1. understand the cognitive processes involved in processing information with the focus on the media;
2. explore and understand the psychological effects of the media in areas such as violence, music, pornography and stereotypes;
3. gain an insight into persuasion in the context of consumer behaviour and advertising;
4. analyse the framing of events and issues by the media and the impact thereof on societies globally;
5. explore the reach and impact of social media on societal level;
6. gain an understanding of the field of cyberpsychology including topics such as robotics, the dark side of the Internet, children and the Internet and self-presentation online.    

Courses

The programme consists of the following six courses, three per period:

Assessment

For one of the 6 courses there is an exam and a final assignment. For the other five courses, you will complete assignments (some individual and some in groups), or projects. This is specified in the course manuals.   

Literature

There is currently one prescribed book:
Cicarelli, S. K., & White, J. N. (2015). Psychology, Global Edition (4th ed.). Pearson 

Additional literature will take the format of articles, chapters, notes etc. 

Schedule

As far as the schedule is concerned the classes (1lecture and 2 tutorials) are spread over a period of 3 days. This means that you will have to be present at the University for 3 days, since all classes are scheduled face-to-face. Students that are registered for the minor will receive the final timetable by mid-August.

With the exception of the first teaching period of the academic year (starting September), the lesson and test schedules are always posted on Mijn Rooster four weeks before the start of each teaching period. The schedule for the first teaching period of the academic year can be found on the site three weeks before the start. The most up-to-date schedule is always visible on Mijn Rooster. 

At HU, full-time education may be scheduled between 08:30 and 19:00.

Additional costs

SPSS access (approximately 10 euros)