Audience research on a hierarchy.

1. AUDIENCE
RESEARCH:
BY MILLIE WYATT

2. Hierarchy of Needs:
• An American psychologist called Abraham Maslow created
the Hierarchy of Needs which can be represented in a five tier
pyramid. The lower down tiers have to be satisfied for the
individual to be able to reach the highest tiers.
• The lowest tear is called ‘psychological’ which represents the
essentials which humans need to survive. E.g. Food, water,
shelter, sleep and clothing.
• The penultimate level is ‘safety’ which encompasses the
elements of safety and security around health, physically and
financial safety.
• The middle tier is called ‘Love/belonging’ which is about social
relationships and connections which a human needs or wants
to feel like they belong.
• The second level is called ‘Esteem’ and this is achieved by
success and progress in endeavours and can also be
described as being perceived well and respected by others.
• The top tier is ‘Self-actualization’ which is the highest level of
the triangle as it is a realisation of an your own potential
which is gained through the experience of he other levels.

3. Passive audiences and hypodermic
needle theory:
 In the 1920s Harold Laswell originated the hypodermic needle theory
which impresses ideas and thoughts onto audiences of a more passive and
susceptible nature. The more passive audiences are more commonly naive
and vulnerable to media propaganda.
 The theory suggests a lack of resistance against the media as passive
audiences will take these ideas and act upon them which could possibly be
dangerous. This theory expresses the idea that the world of media has
enormous amounts of power over groups of people.
 An example of this is the Redbull adverts which promote and sponsor
activities such as cliff jumping which can be viewed as dangerous. The
passive audiences are being injected with these ideas which they may carry
out. They are seeking a higher social standing as they are being fooled
into believing that drinking Redbull will give them the capability to cliff
jump for example.

4. Passive Audiences:
 Passive audiences are perceived to be people who are easily influenced by
surrounding ideas. For example the media is able to plant ideas into their heads
through propaganda.
 These people are open-minded in the way that their opinions are easily changed
and influenced.

5. Cultivation Theory:
 Cultivation theory is the theory which also presents the
audience as passive as well as the hypodermic needle theory. It
infers that the audience can be influenced when they are
exposed to the same message over and over again. The more
someone listens to something, the more it is embedded in
their brain.
 As an example, exposure to more violent scenes in movies
can result in people behaving more violently as they are more
numb to viewing violence as irregular or extreme.
 This can be opposed as there is no evidence to prove that
people react any different each time they watch a similar genre
of film. For example, if you watch a horror/thriller with jump-
scares, audiences do not become numb to them as it is a
natural reaction to be shocked.

6. Two step flow theory:
 The two step flow theory explains the two categories
that the media’s influence can be put into.
 Category 1: The information does not go directly into
the minds of the audiences. It is passed on through
the people who have opinions in the audience which
they then communicate to the people around them
who could be people who are considered part of the
passive audience who then inject those views
themselves.
 Category 2: This means that the media can be viewed
as less threatening because their information is being
filtered which gives the audience with opinions more
power.

7. Active audiences:
 The active audience theory suggests that
audiences do not receive the information passively
but rather take it on in an active way. This could be
done by taking it into conversations.
 Through doing this, the audience are taking in
their own personal information and context of
their lives to fit the ideas and information into
what they do.
 This is a more modern theory which is the most
common way of referring to an audience.

8. Uses and gratification mode:
 The mode of gratification suggests that audiences
consciously take in information based around their
cultural and social preferences. They also add in
their personal needs.
 This goes off the idea that audiences chose the text
which they feel is best suited to them and their
needs as they know what they want from media.
 They can chose to watch materials to influence
their moods in a positive way such as watching
happy material or scary material.

9. Reception Analysis:
 This analysis focuses on how audiences interact with a media
text in relation to their lives in a more personal context.
 In 1974 it was created by Professor Stuart Hall and Charlotte
Brunsden with additional research done later by David Morley.
Experiences affect the way that people receive media as an
audience.
 There are 3 ways which Professor Stuart Hall thinks media can
be received:
1. Dominant: This way is where a person is received in an
unproblematic and simple way.
2. Negotiated: They accept the intended message to an extent
but they interpret it in a way that suits their own views and
lifestyle.
3. Oppositional: When the viewer understands the meaning but
does not agree with it personally and therefore rejects it.

10. Interactive audiences:
 Interactive audiences are the people who
develop greater understandings of media by
interacting with the information given. This
creates a link between the media and the
person.
 An interactive audience happens when they
are able to access further forms of
information which aren’t necessarily
broadcasted by the producer.
 For example, Instagram, Websites and
YouTube videos about Media.