Uses and gratifications theory proposes that media use provides five key gratifications: escapism, entertainment, surveillance, personal identity, and public relations. Media dependency theory builds on uses and gratifications theory by arguing that people become dependent on media to meet needs like social integration based on their circumstances rather than an inherent need for media. Maslow's hierarchy of needs also supports how people can fulfill higher needs like esteem and self-actualization through social media use.
Communication Theories - Knowledge Gap & Modernization Theory Alyssa G. Lobo
This presentation discusses two communication theories - Knowledge Gap (Tichenor, Donohue & Olien, 1970) and Modernization Theory (Marks, 2014). We apply these theories through an examination of contemporary uses of social media across the globe. In India, the rise of the internet has led to the rise of "semi-arranged marriages" (Jejeebhoy et al., 2013) and a growing dating culture. In Africa, we examine how young people use social media to fulfill information needs (GeoPoll Rapid Survey, February 2017). With respect to the Knowledge Gap , we look at if education and social standing really do affect political awareness and activism, and if social media can actually help bridge socio-economic gap.
Communication Theories - Knowledge Gap & Modernization Theory Alyssa G. Lobo
This presentation discusses two communication theories - Knowledge Gap (Tichenor, Donohue & Olien, 1970) and Modernization Theory (Marks, 2014). We apply these theories through an examination of contemporary uses of social media across the globe. In India, the rise of the internet has led to the rise of "semi-arranged marriages" (Jejeebhoy et al., 2013) and a growing dating culture. In Africa, we examine how young people use social media to fulfill information needs (GeoPoll Rapid Survey, February 2017). With respect to the Knowledge Gap , we look at if education and social standing really do affect political awareness and activism, and if social media can actually help bridge socio-economic gap.
Discuss the concept that attitude and opinion change were consider.docxlynettearnold46882
Discuss the concept that attitude and opinion change were considered to be measures of personal. This was because they were assumed to be enduring. Is this assumption still applicable today? Why and how? .(chapter 8)
Attitude is an action toward or away from an attitude object. An opinion is the way people express their attitude or believe. This could be verbalized while attitudes possessed positive and negative drive value. Tow major of research was done by Hovland and Janis address Laswell model of interpersonal communication who says what to whom in what channel with what effect or outcome. In 1953, this was looking for cause and effect and how one elicits change on another.
Hovland, Kelly, and Janis argued attitude and opinion are enduring. They used three steps in order to determine whether attitude change occurred or not. They include attention, comprehension, and acceptance. Not every message that will catch people’s attention. When the message is complicated, it is hard to comprehend and understand. To make the change, individual should accept changes to avoid any regret later. To overcome this regrets we need to work hard to make sure that we carry out the right decisions and which we are comfortable in.
A research on persuasion involves four parts that are communicator, message, audience and response. Credibility goes hand in hand with the communicator's ability to persuade someone. People tend to do dangerous things when in a group than individually. Persuasion is more successful when the individuals are personally convinced r influenced by an absolute choice. Humans are expected to be active in a given task if they are more involved in the persuasion. Someone with an interest in something is more likely to be persuading over time. Using less effort than that who lacks in Personal Influence. The message and credibility are some of the main factors that affect the rate of influencing persons into something.
In the two-step flow of communication, an individual fundamentally influences the other. The media will be more efficient in eliciting change than any other channel. Its influence is indirect rather than direct. Opinion leaders also play a great role in persuading groups of people. It is out of the persuasion that the public makes a choice based on how convinced they are about these choices.
The basic categories which Hovland, Janis, Lumsdaine, and Sheffield addressed in their persusion research are communicator, content, audience and response. It considered central to attitude change. Hovland used Lasswell's formula of "who says what to whom with what effect."
The Communicator (Who) the group studied source credibility, looking at trustworthiness and expertness. They found that, while high-credibility communicators produced better amounts of attitude change, low-credibility communicators produced little attitude change. Another found, when a person with high-credibility gives false information, a person will dissocia.
2. Uses and Gratifications
There are 5 common uses and gratifications associated with Media, those being:-
escapism, entertainment, surveillance, personal identity and public relations. All of
these give and insight into how a consumer engages with the chosen medium.
• Escapism: Using a media outlet in order to create an alternative reality, this acts as
a distraction from their issues; this is present in a person immersing themselves in
the internet in order to escape
• Surveillance: People can view media as a way of gaining information on
surrounding world events such as reading a newspaper, learning through
reading/watching or even to satisfy your natural curiosity. (E.g. Gossip) The Two
Step Flow theory could also be influenced by this. Personal Relations: People often
form friendships based upon their similar preferences; likes and dislikes, this is also
present in media texts(music, film and celebrity) we can use these for social
interaction and to integrate into society and friendships. Personal Identity: Your
personality is made up of many inputs, a major one is that of media, your personal
identity can be construed from a particular celebrity or social group, viewing media
can help insight you on these aspects.
• Entertainment: the main form of interacting with media texts, this can include
filling in time, cultural enjoyment or perhaps escaping reality(escapism).
3. Media Dependency Theory
• Created by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur in 1976 this aimed to
show the need for Media communications and its effect upon its
audience. This is done through incorporating psychological theories with
elements of the Uses and Gratifications Theory. Previously the theories
focused upon effects of the media but this tends to focus upon reception.
• Like the Uses and Gratifications theory this theory works on a basis that
Media helps with integration in society and achieving aspirations but the
need for the use of media is proposed as influenced upon the state of
affairs surrounding the person rather than a constant need for media
dependency.
4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of is a motivational theory
created in 1943. This theory argues that while
people aim to meet basic needs they also seek
to fulfil the higher of the hierarchy. Maslow felt
as though conditioning theories did not
adequately understand human behaviour and
presented his idea that human actions are
directed toward goal attainment with certain
behaviours satisfying several functions
simultaneously. Although, criticisms have been
made about the vagueness of what “deficiency”
is and that it varies from person to person
making this theory too obscure to be reasonably
recognised. This model also shows that we can
fulfil most needs other than basics through
social media. Supporting the theories of Web
2.0 but also the Uses and Gratifications theory.
5. The Hypodermic Needle
Theory
• The "hypodermic needle theory" created in the
1920s implies that media has a direct effect on its
audience and can easily influence large groups of
people by ‘injecting’ them with messages to alter
their opinions. This is done by the creation of a
link between the highly influential ‘Opinion
leader’ and the passive ‘Opinion Receivers’ who
cannot escape the effects of the media. After
analysis of the theory showed that the majority
of people remained uninfluenced by the
propaganda of the media and interaction
produced more influence than the media.
6. The Two Step Flow
The two-step flow was created by Paul Lazarsfeld in 1944
when he discovered that personal contact was much
more influential than that of media sources. This was
later developed into the two-step flow theory of mass
communication. First, opinion leaders receive and
interpret the information of mass media whilst mixing
their own opinions with the content and then pass on this
information to those less receptive of media influence.
The two-step flow theory has improved our
understanding of how mass media influence the
recipients to create more direct and successful media
campaigns.
Editor's Notes
Hypodermic Needle TheoryThe "hypodermic needle theory" implies that media has a directeffect on its audience and can easily influence large groups of people by ‘injecting’ them with messages to alter their opinions. This is done by the creation of a link between the highly influential ‘Opinion leader’ and the passive ‘Opinion Receivers’ who cannot escape the effects of the media. After analysis of the theory showed that the majority of people remained uninfluenced by the propaganda of the media and interaction produced more influence than the media.
History and Orientation The two-step flow was created by Paul Lazarsfeld in 1944 when he discovered that personal contact was much more influential than that of media sources. This was later developed into the two-step flow theory of mass communication. First, opinion leaders receive and interpret the information of mass media whilst mixing their own opinions with the content and then pass on this information to those less receptive of media influence. The two-step flow theory has improved our understanding of how mass media influence the recipients to create more direct and successful media campaigns.