viii

CONTENTS

Acknowledgment vi

Abstract vii

Table of contents viii

CHAPTER 1

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….1

Statement of the problem…………………………………………………………………………2

Rationale of the study…………………………………………………………………………….3

Rationale of selecting issue ………………………………………………………………3

Significance of the study …………………………………………………………………………4

Objectives ……………………………………...…………………………………………………5

Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Research questions………………………………………………………………………………..5

CHAPTER 2

Literature review..........................................................................................................................7

CHAPTER 3

Theoretical framework………………………………………………………………………..14

Agenda setting theory …………………………………………………………………………..14

Basic assumptions of Agenda setting ………………………………..…………………15

Social cognitive theory …………………………………………………………………………19

Social cognitive theory and the study of media effects ……………………………….. 19

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CHAPTER 4

Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………..21

Hypothesis……………………………………………………………………………………....21

Conceptualization and operationalization of key concepts used in this study …………………22

Research design ……………………………………………………………………………..….24

Survey method……………………………………………….………………………………….25

Universe……………………………………………….………………………………...25

Population ………………………………………...….…………………………………25

Sampling ……………………………………………….....……..……………………………...25

Purposive sampling ……………………………..………………………………………26

Sample size………………………………………………………………………………26

Data collections …………………………………………………………………………………26

Tools of data collection ……………………………………………………………..…..26

CHAPTER 5 ……………………………………………………………………………………27

Data collection and Interpretations………………………………………….….……………..27

CHAPTER 6 ……………………………………………………………………………………53

Discussion and Analysis …..……………………………………………………………………53

CHAPTER 7 ……………………………………………………………………………...…….58

Summary and Conclusions ……………...………………...…………………………………..58

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………60

Reference…………………………………..……………………………………………………61

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………...x