2. What is the hypodermic needle theory?
The hypodermic theory is also known as they syringe model which
suggests that the audience is metaphorically injected with ideologies.
The theory implies that the mass media has a direct effect on its
audience through this as they are passive. One of the theorists that
explains this is Albert Bandura. He conducted a study to prove that
what the media shows us we passively accept and act according to it.
3. Bandura’s Bobo Doll study
In his study children were shown a video of an adult acting violently
towards the bobo doll by kicking it and punching it. When later on the
children were taken to a room with a bobo doll they imitated the
behaviour of the adult by also acting violently. The children were
influenced and injected with the ideology that was transmitted through
the video.
Adult behaviour
Imitated behaviour of the
children
4. This theory is based on a study which
was carried out in 1940. The two step
flow model suggests that people form
opinions under the influence of opinion
leaders. This is shown in the image of
the two step flow model.
5. The Uses and Gratifications Model
The uses and gratifications theory is a popular approach which focuses
on the origins of the needs which is generated through the mass media
source. Instead of focusing on the message itself it places more
emphasis on the audience and what personal gain they get out of it.
This theory believes that its audience is not passive but active in how
they interpret what they are seeing. Katz and Blumler impose the idea
that the audience is responsible in choosing a specific media source to
meet their needs.
6. Uses and Gratifications
The audience is active as it control as they use media texts to gratify
their needs through:
• Escapism To help them with emotional satisfaction by releasing
stress/anger.
• Educate Learn something they did not know before.
• Pleasure Satisfy the needs of the consumer
• Diversion To divert from serious concerns through entertainment.
7. Reception Theory
Stuart Hall developed the Reception theory in which it emphasises on
the readers response and readers reception of what is provided to
them. The theory suggests that the producer constructs a text which is
encoded with a meaning/message that the producer wants to convey
to the audience/consumers. This message then will get correctly
decoded and the message conveyed by the producer will be
understood. The audience will either reject the message or fail to
correctly understand it.
8. Reception Theory- three types
1. Dominant/preferred
The audience decodes the message exactly the way the producer wants
them to and generally agrees with it.
2. Negotiated
The audience accepts the message, rejects or innovates some elements of
the text in light of previous views.
3. Oppositional
The dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or
ideological reasons.
