Message Interpretation Process Model

The message interpretation process (MIP) model tracks media effects from an information processing perspective. The model (Figure 2) has evolved largely out of social cognitive theory, expectancy theory, and dual-process theories of attitude change. It proposes that logical comparisons and affective responses create routes to decision making that interact and feed into later-stage beliefs as messages progressively become internalized or rejected.

According to the MIP model, individuals apply heuristics to a message based on logic (such as credibility) or on affect (such as liking). They also can reflect on a message in considerable depth through logical analysis or wishful thinking. Furthermore, affect can append biases to otherwise logical analyses. College students, for example, incorporate media messages into their perceptions of social norms for other students' use of alcohol based on both media messages portraying the apparent desirability of alcohol use and the perceived realism of such messages.

According to the MIP model, individuals employ partly logical and partly affective interpretation strategies. These strategies require teachable skills. Accordingly, the model has been used successfully to evaluate media literacy interventions.

The model posits that individuals of all ages take an active role in their socialization through decision making that makes use of media messages. Because individuals process information through a series of decision-making filters, sometimes called benchmarks, a message can encounter rejection at any step. Consideration of these filters can prevent overly optimistic predictions of media effects. Conversely, evaluations that neglect the filters may underestimate the effects of media use because direct-effects models do not account for indirect effects that cumulatively have a considerable impact.

Perceived realism commonly represents the entry-level variable to the logic-oriented route in the decision-making model. Perceived realism refers to the extent to which a portrayal seems accurate and representative—that is, “like most people” in the real world. Realistic messages have a better chance of surviving a tougher filter, called perceived similarity, the assessment of how closely the portrayal reflects normative personal experiences. High similarity or congruence with perceived norms of relevant reference groups can lead to the next filter of identification, characterized by the desire to emulate a portrayal. Identification reliably predicts the expectation that doing something consistent with what has been seen in the media will bring positive results, known as expectancies, which reliably predict behavior. The entry-level filter representing the affect-oriented route to decision, which can bypass or bias the logicoriented route, is how desirable or undesirable a message seems.

Figure 2 The Message Interpretation Process. According to the message interpretation process model, individuals apply logic-based and affect-based filters to media messages to determine acceptance or rejection of perceived messages.

Used by permission of Erica Weintraub Austin.

[Page 536]The MIP model has been tested on samples ranging from third graders to college-age students, with similar patterns emerging from the data, suggesting that it applies well across developmentally diverse populations. By identifying key interpretationbased filters that individuals use to evaluate messages, it can help explain why messages succeed or fail and can identify weaknesses in the interpretation process that media literacy interventions can strengthen.

...