Effects on audience Flashcards
Indirect effects
Two step flow model - Katz and lazarsfeld
Drip drip model
cultural model
Marxist cultural model Gramsci
Two step flow model - Katz and lazarsfeld
Indirect effects
STEP 1 - The opinion leader is exposed to the media content.
STEP 2 - Those who respect the opinion leader internalise their interpretation of that content and transmit these messages.
personal realtionships ( family memebers, friends, teachers, work collegues) result in people modifying or rejecting media messages - Social networks usually dominated by what they call ‘opinion leaders’. These opinion leaders are generally made up of people who expose themselves to more and different types of media - As a result of this opinion leaders become seen as ‘experts’ in specific matters and their interpretations are then passed on to other members of their social circle.
Drip drip model
indirect effects
drip drip effect’ - Rather than having a more immediate effect (like the direct effect theories), it suggests that the more an ideology is “dripped” into society by the media
mass media gradually influences the audience over a period of time. It is a slow and subtle process which gradually shapes people’s common sense ideas, assumptions and their everyday view of the world.
Cultural effects model
indirect effects
Suggests that over time our norms are changed by viewing certain media content.
e.g viewing violence our view of violence may be that it is more and more acceptable as we become desensitised
The Marxist cultural effect model
Gramsci
indirect effects
sees the media as a very powerful ideological influence that is mainly concerned with transmitting capitalist values and norms.
Gramsci -
strong ideological messages that reflect the values of those who own, control and produce the media. They argue that the long-term effect of such media content is that the values of the rich and powerful come to be unconsciously shared by most people
‘hegemony’ – This refers to the notion that ruling class, capitalist ideologies are presented as common sense in the media. This is another reason that The Cultural Effects Model can be described as a ‘drip drip model’.
intentionally deliberately ‘dumbed down’ the media.
Direct effects
Hypodermic syringe model
magic bullet theory - packard
Bobo doll - bandura
supporting studies
anderson et al
hardcastle et al
Hydoermic syringe model
direct effects
audience passively accepts the messages ‘injected’ into them by the media. Direct effects do not acknowledge differences between members of the audiences, therefore they are seen as homogenous (all the same).
Magic bullet theory - packard
direct effects
‘magic bullet theory’ meaning information is like a bullet that penetrates the audience.
Examined the impact of advertising -
that some media organisations aim to have this effect on their audiences, e.g. newspapers aim to sway voting habits of its audiences.
The model suggests that audiences do not engage with media material they just simply accept it.
Bobo doll experiment
bandura
direct effects
Explored media effects on violence
children can act more aggressively when given the opportunity to do so. Bandura showed 3 groups of children real, film and cartoon examples of a bobo doll being beaten with a mallet. A further (control) group were shown no violence. The children were then taken to a room with lots of toys, but then ‘frustrated’ by being told the toys were not for them.
Anderson et al
Direct effect
violent song lyrics on attitudes and emotions of 500 college students who were asked to listen to songs with violent, non-violent and ‘humorous’ lyrics.
They found a clear pattern of increased aggressive thoughts and feelings of hostility following on from listening to violent song lyrics.
They also measured their feelings of hostility. Found that even humorous violent songs did increase aggression levels, in comparison non-violent songs.
Hardcastle at al
direct effect
direct effects of song lyrics in the media, however they examined positive references to alcohol within lyrics.claimed that ‘the exposure of young people to alcohol in the media is a major concern’ on their behaviour.
Active Audiences
Gratification model
Zillmann
Hall
Selective filter model - kapper
Gratification model
Active audience
Suggests that the audience is an active agent when using the media as they are using it for their own purposes and to satisfy their needs.
uses and gratifications model discusses ‘what people do with the media’.
Zillmann
active audiance
person’s mood may influence their media choice; for example boredom might encourage the choice of exciting content, whereas stress might encourage the choice of relaxing content.
Hall (neo - marxist)
active audiance
Three different ways of reading media messages:
1 - Dominant / hegemonic reading - Audience takes the message that was intended by the media professionals.
2 - Negotiated reading - Audience mixes the original (dominant) message with additional ideas meaning that the intended message is slightly altered.
3 - Oppositional reading - Audience constructs a meaning that is completely different to its intended meaning
In summary it is clear that Hall differentiates that:
An active audience engages, interprets and responds to a media text in different ways and is capable of challenging the ideas encoded in it.
A passive audience is more likely to accept the messages encoded in a media text without challenge and are therefore more likely to be directly affected by the messages.
