Abstract
This paper provides a philosophical discussion of moderators, mediators, 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.
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 38 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Event | 73th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association - Toronto, Canada Duration: 25 May 2023 → 29 May 2023 |
Conference
| Conference | 73th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Canada |
| City | Toronto |
| Period | 25/05/23 → 29/05/23 |