J201Intro to mass communicationMass society“mass communication”processespurposes“mass media”producerstechnologiesproducts“mass society”effectsaudiencescultureslet’s start with a crucial example of media effects ...•zero-effects theories•mass society theories•limited effects theories•agenda-setting theories•uses and gratifications theories•hegemonic effects theories•cultural construction theoriesSeven types of media effects theories•“People know that media content isn’t real”•“Media only reflect what is already in society”•“Other social institutions like family, school, church, and workplace have more influence than media”•“Media have effects, but only over trends, fads, and other trivialities”zero effects theoriesa famous mass society examplea famous mass society example1938 Halloween Eve•“hypodermic needle” or “magic bullet” •early 20th century: mass urban industrial society•new media: radio, film, and magazines•1930s Payne Fund studies of motion pictures•1940s Nazi propaganda “persuasion studies”mass society theoriesa limited effects exampleAlbert Bandura experiments 1961-1965•1940s-1960s: first “communciations” researchers•intervening variables (mediation)•laboratory conditions (controls)•individual differences (who you are)•social differences (who you know)limited effects theories•selectivity in attention, retention, perception (attitude formation theory)•not the whole audience, but a particular subset(audience fragmentation or segmentation)•not “conversion” but “reinforcement” (reinforcement theory)•not “effects” but “modeling”(social cognitive theory)limited effects theories (continued)audience fragmentation / segmentation for limited effects research•demographics (who you are)•geographics (where you are)•psychographics (what you believe)an agenda-setting example•not what to think, but what to think about •especially relevant to political elections•staged media events (or “pseudo events”)agenda setting theoriesLinné and von Feilitzen 1972a uses and gratifications exampleuses and gratifications theories•audience members have needs, interests, and goals•audience members choose media to satisfy those needs, interests, and goals•media must compete with other ways people have to satisfy their needs, interests, and goals•method: ask people why they use the media(information, identity, integration, entertainment)•do people have “freedom of choice”?•what about aggregate-level effects and meanings?•supports the status quo?Gerbner 1982a hegemonic effects example•hegemony = power of dominant group accepted as both natural and legitimate by those who are dominated•focus not on individual messages content but on ideological effect of lots of messages over time•focus not on change but on thwarting of change•“narcotizing dysfunction”hegemonic effects theories•media help to socialize us to the status quo (socialization theory)•media power grows as society grows more complex(dependency theory)•media use contributes to gap between rich and poor(knowledge-gap theory)•people self-censor unpopular opinions (spiral of silence)•the more media people consume, the more they take on the values portrayed in the media (cultivation analysis)hegemonic effects theories (continued)cultural construction theories•audiences are not passive viewers making choices, but active creators of meaning•audiences create, sustain, and alter shared worldviews using the media•media are not only wrapped up in pleasure and gratification, but power and conflict•do audiences only choose media which supports their worldview?so which of these theories applies to video
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