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The social scientific model also asks important questions about the media, but is informed by an approach that tests hypotheses with measurable data. The model has its roots in the natural sciences’ pursuit of objective research. But as social scientific researchers know, applying rigorous social scientific methods to the study of human behavior is much less reliable than applying such methods to a highly controlled chemistry or physics laboratory environment.

Nevertheless, social scientific research has provided valuable insight into questions about how the media affect us and has become more sophisticated with the rise of electronic and digital media in the twentieth century. Early research looked at the effects of media like movies, and used electric mechanisms attached to viewers’ skin to detect heightened responses to frightening or romantic scenes. More recent research has continued to test hypotheses about media effects, using controlled laboratory experiments. For example, researchers might set out to chart the relationship among stereotypical magazine representations of women of color and readers’ occupational expectations for women of color in general.

Politics and public opinion also have long attracted the interest of media researchers, beginning with the rise of survey research in the twentieth century. Today, media researchers—working for universities, news organizations, the government, and political parties—conduct regular national and regional surveys to take snapshots of the public’s opinions on all manner of issues. They also use that information as a basis for action. For example, public opinion researchers (usually working as consultants for political parties or campaigns) test words, ideas, and images on small focus groups, to see how different ways of framing a topic such as “global warming” or “climate change” affect voters’ decisions.

Just as media research can help political candidates formulate their campaign strategies, it can also help businesses develop and market their products. For instance, consumer product companies use quantitative methods to track the effectiveness of their advertisements. Hollywood studios regularly screen-test movies to figure out which ending works best for viewers. Ratings services track audience numbers for radio, television, and Web sites—compiling immense stores of data that companies use to gauge the effectiveness of their ad spending.

The goal of social scientific media research, then, is to develop testable hypotheses (or predictions) about the media, gather relevant data, and then determine whether the data verifies the hypotheses.