Media Acumen Theory: A Developmental Framework for Information Credibility Assessment (Routledge Research in Media Literacy and Education)

This book proposes a theory of Media Acumen, a developmental framework that bridges theories about how adults navigate information credibility in contemporary media environments. Integrating established research traditions with cognitive science research on implicit associations, pattern recognition, and misconception persistence, the book explores alternatives to existing media literacy approaches.The author proposes testable predictions for empirical research, provides operationalizable constructs for behavioral assessment, and suggests design principles for informal learning interventions that work with how human cognition actually functions.Examining contemporary crises, the book demonstrates how vulnerable adults become when pattern recognition systems calibrated for 20th-century media encounter today's sophisticated manipulation tactics and misinformation. By bringing together theory with practical intervention strategies, this book offers researchers, educators, policymakers, an