Media Studies A-Level
Cognitive Surplus
What Cognitive Surplus means in Media Studies A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Cognitive Surplus
The utilization of free time and talent for collaborative, non-profit digital projects, representing a shift from individual consumption to communal production.
Topics that use Cognitive Surplus
- Media audiences (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Audience Agency
- Audience Positioning
- Cultivation and Socialization
- Decentralization of Power
- Digital Labor and Monetization
- Encoding/Decoding
- First-Order Beliefs
- Moral Panics and Media Regulation
Using Cognitive Surplus in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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