5) Media content, presentation and audiences Flashcards
Explain the hypodermic syringe theory?
Early theories of media effects claimed that the mass media have a direct and immediate effect on behaviour. HST likened the effect of the media to the injection of a drug into a vein.
The media were seen to have an effect on people’s moods and actions. For example, violence in a movie produces feelings of aggression which can lead to violent behaviour. The media is seen as powerful and the audience is passive; meaning that they are accepting of everything they consume from the media.
This then means that everything the media publishes is seen as truth. The audience is pictured as a mass of isolated individuals who are vulnerable to media manipulation and control.
Evaluate the hypodermic syringe theory?
Much of the evidence used to support HST came from laboratory experiments. But the way people behave in laboratories can be very different to the way they act in real life situations: Bandura – ‘bobo doll’ (1963)
Pluralism- we have choice in what we view/ consume so it’s up to us with what what we accept as we could just turn it over.
Desensitisation- view something repeatedly you become immune to the effect of the issue.
Scapegoating the media- it’s using the media for everything wrong in society while ignoring that that may be other influences causing the anti social behaviour etc. such as peer pressure or drugs.
Explain Bandura’s bobo doll study?
66 nursery children were split into three conditions:
Watching a ‘model’ adult beat an inflatable doll with toys and rewarded
Watching a ‘model’ adult beat an inflatable doll with toys and being punished
Watching a ‘model’ adult beat an inflatable doll with toys and neither rewarded or punished.
The children were more violent in the first and third condition.
This relates to the media as if we see violence in the media and we do not see the offenders getting punished we are more likely to be violent as well. For example, GTA allows us to commit crimes inside the video game and if children are not shown the consequences of this, they will not understand the true extent of their actions.
Evaluate the bobo doll study?
This experiment lacks ecological validity – it is not a representative situation of real life. A doll is not a real person and therefore the children may act differently towards the doll than a peer. This is because the doll does not respond to the violence.
Explain the cultural affects model?
If similar images, ideas and interpretations are broadcast repeatedly over periods of time, they may affect the way we see and understand the world. The media generally spreads dominant ideology, but the audiences react in different ways depending on their social situation, experiences and beliefs (women may resist gender stereotyping more than men).
The cultural effects model argues the effects of media is a slow, steady and subtle influence/ process of brainwashing, which shapes peoples ideas, assumptions and everyday views of the world.
Evaluate the cultural effects model? (+ve’s)
+Ve It recognises the power of the dominant class in influencing media content. The media is transmitting dominant ideology to make it seem normal and acceptable so it’s easier for the ruling class to manipulate the lower classes.
+Ve It recognises that we are not passive audiences, it recognises we respond differently to the messages in the media depending on our social situations, experiences and beliefs.
Evaluate the cultural effects model? (-ve’s)
- Ve It provides to much emphasis on the role of the audiences. Those who have the power set the framework for media content and long term socialisation as the media limits the ability of the audience to resist seeing media messages.
- Ve It assumes that media personnel work within the framework and assumptions of the dominant ideology. it fails to recognise that journalists have some independence in their work and can be very critical of the dominant ideology.
Explain the two step flow model?
Developed by Katz and Lazarsfield (1950’s), they argue that we respond to the media in a variety of ways influenced by outside factors e.g. beliefs and values, experiences and opinions. They claim people are influences by opinion leaders who are generally respected members of social groups who form primary views on media effects, who lead discussion as others listen and take notice.
The first step in the process is that opinion leaders are affected by the media, who then pass on selected information from the media in accordance to their own opinion to others in the group (second step).
Evaluate the two step flow model ? (+Ve)
+Ve Audience members aren’t completely passive, opinion leaders select, interpret and filter media messages, this is influence of media
+Ve Effect of media not as powerful as syringe theory suggest, opinion leaders are most influenced by media not whole group.
Evaluate the two step flow model ? (-Ve)
- Ve Probably more than 2 steps in media influence, and audiences more or less sill victims of media content.
- Ve People are vulnerable to influence and manipulation by opinion leaders. However, people have their own opinions that may differ from opinion leaders.
Explain the selective filter model ?
Klapper(1960) suggests that, for a media message to have any effect, it must pass through three filters:
Selective exposure– the audience must choose to view, read or listen to the content of specific media. Media messages can have no effect if no one sees or hears them. However, what the audience chooses depends upon their interests, education, work commitments and so on.
Selective perception– the audience may not accept the message; some people may take notice of some media content, but decide to reject or ignore others.
Selective retention– the messages have to ‘stick’ in the mind of those who have accessed the media content. However, research indicates that most people have a tendency to remember only the things they broadly agree with.
evaluate the selective filter theory ? (+Ve)
+Ve It acknowledges that the audience is active unlike the hypodermic syringe model
+Ve Like cultural affects model, it doesn’t ignore wider factors- we choose what we read and accept due to our interests.
evaluate the selective filter theory ? (-Ve)
- Ve The model doesn’t take individual characteristics into account, such as age and gender; it assumes we’re all the same.
- Ve It doesn’t acknowledge that past experiences play a role, unlike the cultural effects model
Explain the users and gratification model?
Blumler and McQuail (1968) see media audiences as active. Their uses and gratifications model suggests that people use the media in order to satisfy particular social needs that they have. e.g. Wood (1993) illustrated how teenagers may use horror films to gratify their need for excitement.
Identify the 4 basic needs Blumler and McQuail identified people use the media for?
Diversion- satisfy themselves
Personal relationships- talk to family around the world, or partners long distance.
Personal identity- make over or remodel identity
Surveillance- obtain information
