'This book provides a thoughtful and balanced look at some of the hot topics generating headlines, such as media violence, body image, social representation and sex in the media.Media Psychology 101 will be a valuable addition to introductory courses and the public as a user-friendly overview of much-discussed issues. -Pamela Rutledge, PsycCRITIQUES There are few areas of modern social science that are as fiercely debated as media psychology. Written by one of the foremost experts on the topic, this is a concise overview of what is knownv=and not knownv=about how individuals are affected by and interact with various forms of mass media. The book critically examines research from cognitive, social, developmental, biological, and evolutionary approaches to psychology and addresses the interplay between media consumption and viewer behavior in such realms as advertising, body image, sex, and violence. Distinguished by its examination of research from a scientifically objective position,