Audience Theory

Audience Theory

This was the first theory to explain how audiences might react to mass media. The audience was to receive a media text, either positive or negative, and they would stimulate a response. This is a short term effect as audiences are malleable and this is passive (Meaning that the audience do not have to do anything)

The Hypodermic Needle ModelThe Inoculation ModelThe Two-Step Flow ModelThe Uses & Gratifications TheoryThe Reception Theory

Timeline of Audience Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Model(1920’S)

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

http://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-hypodermic-needle-theory/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt5MjBlvGcY

This theory is the long term exposure to repeated media messages makes them immune to it.This test how audiences adapt their behaviour and beliefs and their original thoughts the more they hear a media message. This also makes the audience passive.



HN

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

The Inoculation Model(1961)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UspwVIJTgU0

This model is where people get their information from ‘opinion leaders’ who in turn get their information from media sources. These ‘opinion leaders’ will use information that they got from mass media and insert their own opinions, to influence the others around them.This would have used many years ago, but now where most people live In cities,



HN

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

IMThe Two-Step Flow Model(1944)

http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/theory%20clusters/mass%20media/two_step_flow_theory-1/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csGHExeP3uA

The Uses & Gratifications Theory is an approach to understanding why and how people seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. UGT is an audience centerd approach to understanding mass communication.

Differing from other media effect theories that question "what does media do to people?", UGT focuses on what people do with media.



HN

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

IMTS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications_theory#mediaviewer/File:SNA_segment.png


The Uses & Gratifications Theory(1944)

The Reception Theory is based on Stuart Halls encoding/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience.There are 3 ways of audience participation; Dominant, negotiated and oppositional.Dominant is where the audiences does nothing, negotiated where the two parts talk and negotiate and the media text, and oppositional iswhere the audience take control of the media text.



HN

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

IMTS

http://tdonoghuetheory.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/david-gauntlett-reception-theory-stuart.html


UGThe Reception Theory(1968)

Education

Audience Theory