Response to Stevenson's Comments
Abstract
ï´ïµï¶ ï©ï®ï´ï¥ï²ï®ï¡ï´ï©ï¯ï®ï¡ï¬ ïªï¯ïµï²ï®ï¡ï¬ ï¯ï¦ ï°ïµï¢ï¬ï©ï£ ï¯ï°ï©ï®ï©ï¯ï® ï²ï¥ï³ï¥ï¡ï²ï£ï¨ Fanâs âIdeodynamicsâ builds on traditional models of media inï¬uence but needs evidence that it has addressed problems speciï¬c to aggregate analysis over time. My suggestion is that he help us slower minds to understand his approach by spelling out what his ï¬nal data set looks likeâis every day a case?; how are the values of the variables determined?; is a predicted value for public opinion generated every day?âand how his analysis proceedsâwhat are simple autocorrelations and cross-correlations?; and how does the model deal with them? Help us look inside the black box to see how it works. We may then agree that he has indeed discovered an approach that overcomes the old problems of demonstrating mediaâs inï¬uence on public opinion. If he can do that, his name and the technique of âIdeodynamicsâ will join the small pantheon of shapers of the ï¬eld of communication research. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Robert L. Stevenson is Kenan Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Address correspondence to Professor Robert L. Stevenson, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina, CB ï³ï³ï¶ïµ Carroll Hall, Chapel Hill, NC