The Cognitive Mediation Model of Learning From the News

TLDR

The cognitive mediation model posits that the effect of surveillance gratifications on news knowledge is mediated by information processing—specifically, news attention and elaboration—which covary and directly enhance learning, so that the direct effect of gratifications on knowledge becomes negligible when these variables are controlled. The study proposes extensions to the cognitive mediation model of learning from news. Analyses of three datasets (N = 512, 567, 299) largely confirm the model’s hypotheses about political learning from news.

Abstract

The cognitive mediation model predicts that the impact of a learning gratification for news media use on knowledge of news content is mediated by information processing variables. Specifically, surveillance gratifications seeking should encourage two forms of information processing: news attention and elaboration. These forms of information processing should covary and have a direct and positive impact on learning of news content. The impact of surveillance gratifications seeking on knowledge—expected at the zero-order level—should be approximately zero when these information processing variables are controlled. A secondary analysis of two sample surveys (N = 512 and N = 567) plus analysis of original data specifically designed to test the model (N = 299) provide nearly complete support for hypotheses derived from the model in the context of political learning from the news. Suggestions for expansion of the model are provided.