The document summarizes two audience theories: the effects model and uses and gratifications model. The effects model sees audiences as passive and easily influenced by media messages. It was tested in experiments like the Bobo doll experiment. However, the uses and gratifications model sees audiences as active, using media to fulfill personal needs like diversion, escapism, and identity exploration. Both theories provide different perspectives on the relationship between audiences and media texts.

1. Audience Theory 2
By Lauren Holyoak

2. The Theories
There are many different types of audience theories that one can research
however, the two that I am going to be focusing on in this presentation are:
 The Uses and Gratifications Model
 The Effects Model or the Hypodermic Model
Both of these theories will help me to gain a better more in depth
understanding of my audience and the overall relationship between texts and
audience.

3. The Effects Model
 The media “effect theory” is how media can affect society and how society
affects the media.
 The consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the
audience and it is often considered that this effect is negative. Examples of
the negative implications of this theory are when “copy cat murders” are
committed.
 An audience that tends to see the audience as passive and sees how
exposure to particular aspects of media content can influence the
behaviour of the reader or viewer.
 Audience are passive and powerless to prevent the influence
 The power lies with in the message of the text.

4. The Effects Model
 This theory helps explain Moral panic in relation to representations of; sex
violence and deviant behaviour and it’s supposed effects on youth.
 The media effects theory was initially proposed by the “Frankfurt School of
social researchers “in the 1920’s in regards to Nazi propaganda.

5. The Hypodermic Model
 This theory refers to the idea that the media works like a drug. Here,
messages in media are ‘injected’ into the audience by the powerful
‘syringe-like’ media; giving its name.
 This gives connotations of the audience being drugged or addicted to the media
and they are powerless to resist it.

6. Effects Model: The Bobo Doll Experiment
 This experiment was a very controversial experiment in which 24 children watched
a violent video of an adult attracting a toy clown named Bobo Doll. The children
were then taken to a room with various appealing toys and told not to touch them.
After this the children were then put in a different room but the toys this time were
Bobo Dolls.
 88% of the children who were shown the video imitated the violent behaviour
present in the video. 8 months after the video was shown to them, 40% of the
children still reproduced the violent behaviour.
 This deduced that children will imitate violent media content.
 This theory is still used in politics and certain aspects of the media to stop/limit and
restrict violence in media texts

7. Effects Model: Media Text Examples
 ”A Clockwork Orange (1971, Film)”- linked to a number of rapes and violent attacks
 “Child’s Play 3 (1991, Film)”- linked to the murder of James Bulger in 1993
 “Manhunt (2003, Game)”- linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah by his friend in
2004
 “Severance (2006, Film)”- Linked to the murder of Simon Everitt in 2008
 Below are some examples of media that have been sited as “causing or being
contributory factors” to crimes.
 All of these cases caused a public and media outcry which demanded the texts to be
banned in the UK. As a result of certain cases, laws surrounding media content were
changed, films were banned.
 Despite this evidence, it was held in the cases that the link between the texts and
violent acts was non existent as it couldn't’t be demonstrated in court.

8. The Uses and Gratifications Model
 The media “uses and gratifications model theory” is the opposite of the “effects
model theory” and came about due the problems surrounding the effects model.
 In this theory the audience is viewed as active, rather than passive, and uses the
text apposed to being used by the text. Here the audience uses the text for their
own person gratification or pleasure- hence the name.
 This theory suggests that the audience hold the power and emphasises that it is
what the audience so with media text, how and why they use them that is
important.
 The audience is free to reject use or play with the medias intended meanings as
they see fit.

9. The Uses and Gratifications Model
 Diversion
 Escapism
 Pleasure
 Information
 Comparing relationships and lifestyles with ones own
 Sexual stimulation
 Emotional Satisfaction
 Issues with personal identity
 Issues with social identity
 Relaxation
 Learning
 Issues of aggression and violence
 The Audiences in this model are suggested to use the media texts to fill/gratify one
of the following needs:
 The media can help people with issues as the audience are able to control of the
consumption. Some of these issues are:

10. The Uses and Gratifications Model
 This theory controversially suggests that the consumption of violent images and
text can be helpful rather than harmful to the audience.
 The audience is considered to act out their deem able “violent impulses” through
the consumption of media rather than in real life violent acts against people in the
public.
 The theory is supported by American psychologist, Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of
Needs” shown below.