ABSTRACT
Mass communication research is the field within which radio and television research is conducted. Mass communication also includes research into advertising, newspapers, magazines, the recording industry, motion pictures, and other media. Hypothesis-testing research is usually based in theory. The researcher examines a general principle or theory then derives a hypothesis from that theory. In the historical-critical method, the researcher examines documents and firsthand reports contemporary with the era, event, or phenomenon under investigation. In the case study method, the researcher examines in detail a mass communication situation or a series of such situations for underlying principles. The experimental method is used most often in the laboratory. Social categories theory added a sociological component to the individual differences perspective. The uses and gratifications approach assumes that individuals are cognitively active.
