The document discusses various communication theories including the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, which explains how new ideas are adopted through communication channels, the role of time and social systems in the adoption process, and the five stages of this diffusion. Other theories examined include the Gatekeeping Theory, the Bullet (Hypodermic Needle) Theory, Inoculation Theory, and Displacement Effect Theory, each addressing different aspects of media influence and psychological responses. The document emphasizes the importance of understanding these theories for comprehending how innovations spread and how individuals process information.

1. Theories of Communication

2. Diffusion of innovations theory

5. The diffusion of innovation theory explains how the people adopt new
innovative ideas and how they make decision towards them. The channels of
both mass media and interpersonal communication are involved in the diffusion
process. According to this theory , innovations should be widely adopted in order
to attain development and sustainability. In real life situations, the adaptability
of culture plays a very important role wherever the theory is applied. Rogers
proposed four elements of diffusion of innovations they are:
Diffusion of innovations theory
Everett Rogers
Theories of Communication

6. Communication Channel – The communication channel takes the messages from one
individual to another. It is through the channel of communication the Innovations
spread across the people. It can take any form like word of mouth, SMS, or any sort of
literary form (Ex:Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy
and wise).
Innovation – an idea, practice, or object perceived as new (mobile phones) by
individuals. It can also be an impulse to do something new or bring some social
change.
Time – It refers to the length of time which takes from the people to get adopted to
the innovations. It is the time the people take to get used to new ideas. For an
example, considering the mobile phones, they take a while to get spread among the
people when they are introduced in the market
Social System – Interrelated network group joint together to solve the problems for
a common goal. Social system refers to all kinds of components which construct the
society like religion, institutions, groups of people etc.

7. Roger identifies the Mechanism of Diffusion of Innovation Theory through five
following stages:
Knowledge : People get exposed to the new innovation, but they are may not
show interest in it due to lack information or knowledge about the innovation.
Persuasion : Even if they are persuaded to adopt the new innovation, they are
always seeking to get more details about the innovation.
Decision : In this stage, they analysis the positive and negative aspects of the
innovation and decide whether to accept/reject the innovation. Roger explains
“one of the most difficult stages to identify the evidence”.
Implementation : They take efforts to identify the dependence of the
innovation and collect more information about the usefulness of the
innovation in order to implement it.
Confirmation : They conform or finalize their decision and continue to use the
innovation with full potential.
Example
In the 1990’s, the mobile phones were introduced to common people , they
went in to this process and accepted finally and got used to them largely.

8. Gate keeping Theory
Kurt Lewin coins the word called “Gate keeping”. It’s
nothing but to block unwanted or useless things by using a
gate. Here the person who make a decision is called
“Gatekeeper”. At first it is widely used in the field of
psychology and later it occupies the field of communication.
Now it’s one of the essential theories in communication
studies.
News items:
N1: Texas bull fighting, N2:
International terror issues, N3:
UN discussions, N4: Religious
abuse on international
community
Gatekeeper: Chief Editor
Selected News Items:
N2: International terror issues,
N3: UN discussions,
Discarded News Items: (on
popularity)
N1: Texas bull fighting
Discarded News Items: (on policy)
N4: Religious abuse on
International community
Kurt Lewin

9. Bullet or Hypodermic Needle Theory
• The Bullet Theory holds that the mass media are so
powerful that they can ‘shoot’ or ‘inject’ their messages
straight into the viewer’s head. The passive viewers
(referred to collectively as the ‘masses’) are immediately
influenced by the message. According to this theory, there
is only one way for the audience to hear or read the
message.
• The Frankfurt School proposed the Bullet (sometimes
referred to as the Hypodermic Needle) Theory. This is the
first major communication theory, which was developed at
a time when the media was becoming a force to be
reckoned with.
• Essentially, this model holds that an intended message is
directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver. The
model emerged from the Marxist Frankfurt School of
intellectuals in the 1930s to explain the rise of Nazism in

10. Inoculation Theory of communication
• This theory was developed by social psychologist, William
J. McGuire, in 1961 to explain more about how attitudes
and beliefs change, and more importantly, how to keep
original attitudes and beliefs consistent in the face of
persuasion attempts.
• Inoculation theory was developed to strengthen the existing
attitudes and beliefs and build resistance to future
counterarguments. In order to make inoculation a
successful one, it is significant to impose a threat
(motivation for resistance) upon these existing ideas and
beliefs and build defenses for counterarguments. This
takes place after the inoculation. The argument that is
presented through inoculation must be strong enough to
initiate motivation to maintain current attitudes and beliefs,
but weak enough that the receiver will refute the
counterargument

11. Displacement Effect Theory
• The displacement theory coins the idea of the mind
mechanism of keeping or disposing of information in human
mind- Sigmund Freud
• The concept were similar to dream distortion were the newer
taught replaced the unimportant information and this
transference of emotions that occur during various situations
can be psychologically termed as displacement effect.
• This theory states that the human mind has a defense
mechanism which involuntarily displaces the effects from an
individual or anything which are felt unacceptable to another
situation which the mind distinguished more acceptable

12. • The displacement effects acts like a cycle. The human mind
unconsciously finds itself a solution for the problem which
causes the stress and to alleviate the situation the
displacement occurs to a situation or to an entity which can be
of little or no relevance.
• Displacement effects can be seen in the situations leading to
anger and this can only be resolved through anger otherwise
the effects can grow overtime. In most of the cases the effect
of the emotion is let out to the target or to a safer alternative.