Audience Theories Flashcards
What is the core idea of Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications Theory?
Blumler and Katz propose that audiences actively seek out media to fulfill specific needs: Information (learning), Personal Identity (finding reinforcement for personal values), Integration and Social Interaction (gaining insight into others’ circumstances), and Entertainment (escapism and relaxation).
What does Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory suggest about audience interpretation?
Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory posits that media texts are encoded with meaning by producers and decoded by audiences. Audiences may interpret texts in three ways: Dominant (agreeing with the intended meaning), Negotiated (partially agreeing), or Oppositional (disagreeing with the intended meaning).
How does Henry Jenkins define ‘Fandom’ in media studies?
Henry Jenkins describes ‘Fandom’ as a participatory culture where fans actively engage with media, creating and sharing content. Fans appropriate texts, often reading them in ways not intended by producers, a process known as ‘textual poaching.’
What is Clay Shirky’s ‘End of Audience’ theory?
Clay Shirky argues that digital technologies have transformed media consumers into producers. Traditional passive audiences have evolved into active participants who create and share content, leading to a more participatory media culture.
What is George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory?
George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory suggests that prolonged exposure to media content, especially television, shapes audiences’ perceptions of reality. Repeated representations can cultivate dominant ideologies and mainstream values over time.
What does Albert Bandura’s Media Effects theory propose?
Albert Bandura’s Media Effects theory posits that media can implant ideas directly into audiences’ minds. Audiences may acquire attitudes and behaviors through modeling, and media representations of behaviors like violence can lead to imitation.
Q: What is the Four Cs theory by Young and Rubicam?
A:
Young and Rubicam’s Four Cs (Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation) categorizes audiences based on their motivations and values. The main types are:
Mainstreamers – Seek security, family, and routine (largest group).
Aspirers – Materialistic and status-driven; care about image.
Explorers – Seek novelty, adventure, and try new things.
Succeeders – Goal-oriented, confident, and organised.
Reformers – Value ethics, social awareness, and freedom.
Strugglers – Live for the moment; have limited resources.
Resigned – Older, traditional, and resistant to change
