WEEK 4: Media, Minds and Bodies

This week in the lecture we discussed the practical and theoretical consequences of the way we model mind, media and bodies— and often all of these together. This had particular focus on the model of the mind. I would be lying if I said I found the concepts within this weeks lecture simple to understand but I think after much reflection I have started to get my head around them. Basically what i took away from the lecture is that there are  four main models in which the mind media and body are connected by : behaviourism, cognitivism, cybernetics and constructivism.

Both the behavioural and cognitivist models of the human mind and explanations of thought are significant to media theory and the way in which a person interacts with and uses varying forms of media. Behaviourism, which centres on the belief “that behaviours are learned (become habitual) as a result of reinforcement” (Case & Bereiter, 1984) has influenced media theories such as the media effects theory and dailiness. As behaviourism suggests that a person relies on memory and habits, rather than a mental process that is active, it is apparent that this model is reflected in the idea that media influences the way in which the people interacting with it behave and think; the media effects theory.Arguments that violent video games condition people to act violently and consider this the norm are a reflection of this model and the way in which the relationship with the media and the mind can be explained. Dailiness, or the media routine which the individual engages with each day, also suggests that the behavioural model is the correct way to view human thought, as it implies that a person follows habitual pattern rather than a sense of agency. This model can also be reflected in the idea that a person can be brain-washed, or to contextualise this idea, that a person’s habits and responses can be influenced by subtle changes to thought.

On the other hand the cognitivist model suggests that “intelligent behaviour can (only) be explained by appeal to internal ‘cognitive processes’, that is, rational thought in a very broad sense,” (Haugeland, 1978). This theory is influenced by modern media as it is often rationalised by the comparison of the human mind to a computer, with each decision being a logical and processed action. As such, media becomes part of a rational thought process, used to communicate and process information. Essentially the individual, rather than include the media in its habitual routine, has agency and rationally engages with it. When interacting with a violent video game, rather than adapting their own behaviour to the actions portrayed in the game, the person processes the information and files it accordingly into the mental process, recognising it as a media construct and not as appropriate behaviour.

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Case, R & Bereiter, C 1984, From behaviourism to cognitive behaviourism to cognitive development: Steps in the evolution of instructional design, Instructional Science, vol. 13, page 141-158

Haugeland, J 1978, The nature and plausibility of cognitivism, Behavioural and Brain science, vol. 2, page 215-266