1. Media influence research & evidence
By ashley Hall

2. Empirical evidence
Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
E.g. ”They provided considerable empirical evidence to support their argument.”

3. Women's Magazines and Body Image - An empirical case study of the Danish Fashion Magazine Costume
Published by Camilla Neilsen in 2008
This thesis is about the Danish fashion magazine Costume and women’s reception of it. The thesis is especially concerned with the body images in Costume and the way in which they influence women’s subjectivity and sense of self. The thesis is situated within feminist and cultural studies and uses an interdisciplinary approach. Through a combination of textual analysis and individual research interviews the thesis gives an insight into the life-world of six women and their reception of Costume. The thesis uses both avid and reluctant readers, which gives the thesis the opportunity to investigate the women’s life-world and reception of a media product such as Costume, from differing perspectives. By using a post-structuralist approach and drawing on theorists such as Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, the thesis provides a rigorous critique of Costume. The case study has proved that Costume carries a certain ideology, which deals with the construction of a female bodily ideal, an ideal, which is white, young, thin, heterosexual, beautiful and able-bodied. This ideology influences women and asks them to take on self- responsibility for the way they look. Costume thereby produces contemporary disciplines of ‘body projects’ and thus reproduces normative feminine practices within our culture. These are practices which train the female body in docility and obedience to cultural demands, which insist that all women should be slim and ‘perfect’, while at the same time being experienced in terms of ‘power’ and ‘control’.

4. The Effects of the Media on Body Image: A Meta-Analysis
Published in June of 2010 by Amanda J. Holstrom
This study cumulates findings of empirical studies that examine the effects of media on body image. An estimate of overall effect size, trends in the research, and the influence of moderating variables are examined and reported. Results suggest depictions of thin women may have little to no effect on viewers. However, images of overweight women seem to have a positive effect on women's body image. Suggestions for future research are offered.

5. Case study
A particular instance of something used or analysed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle.
Whilst case studies can simply be using one instance of something to explain something else, case studies are also sometimes described as “moral panics”, where the media, ironically, will try and attribute blame for a tragic event.

6. Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis is when researchers look at a number of studies and draw conclusions from the collective results of this research.

7. Sample question
Using the information in this PowerPoint and your knowledge of media communication theories, answer the following question:
Q. Some people argue that the media has significant influence. Others suggest that it has little effect on audiences. Evaluate arguments made about media influence, substantiating your answer with evidence you examined in class. (8 marks)
Remember that you should be writing about 50 words per mark, so this response should be around 400 words in length.