Between Messages and People

Abstract

Multilevel approaches provide a powerful way to assess simultaneously the contribution of message differences and individual differences to prediction of memory for media content. Many questions about memory legitimately invite investigation of not only factors that describe people but also variables describing messages as well as potential interactions between those two levels. This article introduces an example of how multilevel modeling techniques can be applied to avoid basic pitfalls and to predict memory for electronic media content. Using data from a sample of U.S. adolescents and data regarding the content and prevalence of nationally available health campaign advertisements, this study illustrates main effects and cross-level interactions relevant to an array of communication scholars and professionals.