The Paradox of the Paradigm: An Important Gap in Media Effects Research

Media effects research has focused so intently on effects that it has neglected the richly informative domain of persuasive messages that have no effects, have reverse boomerang effects, or have unintended and unanticipated consequences. This results in a paradoxical paradigmatic gap: a theoretical blind spot. I propose we broaden our research focus to include systematic patterns of miscommunication and non-communication in the interpretive dynamics of both mass and interpersonal communication. This review explores evolving research on persistent misinformation and counterfactual beliefs, and the underlying psychology of cognitive distortion and selective attention. Research methodologies of particular promise are reviewed, including transmission chain studies, textual analysis, and the rich domain of "big data" evolving from the digital revolution in mass and interpersonal communication.