Audience Theory Part 2 :)

Why do audiences choose to consume certain texts?
How do they consume texts?
What happens when they consume text?

There are 3 theories of audience that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between text and audience:

1. The Effects Model or The Hypodermic Model

2. The Uses and Gratifications Model

3. Reception Theory


The Effects Model

-the consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience.
-it is normally considered that this effect is negative.
-audiences are passive and powerless to prevent the influence.
-the power lies with the message of the text.

This model is also called:

The Hypodermic Model

-here, the messages in media texts are injected into the audience by the powerful, syringe-like, media
-the audience is powerfuless to resist
-therefore, the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted, doped or duped
-key evidence for the effects:

• The Frankfurt School theorised in the 1920s and 30s that the mass media acted to restrict and control corporate capitalism and governments



• The Bobo Doll experiment. This is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour.

The Bobo Doll Experiment

-children watched a video were a man violently attacked a clown toy called the Bobo Doll

-the children were taken to a room with attractive toys that they were not allowed to touch

-they were then led to another room with a Bobo Doll

-88% of the children imitated the violent behaviour that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of the children reprosuced the same violent behaviour

-the conclusion reached was that children will imitate violent media content

-there were many problems with the experiment. After being shown the video of the attack on the Bobo Doll and then being taken to a room with the Bobo Doll inside, the children would think that they wanted them to copy the video. Also along with the Bobo Doll, other things such as a hammer and toy gun was put into the room. these are not normal toys for children. And what else can you do with a Bobo Doll but hit and push it? That is the point of that type of toy.

Does violence influence violent acts?

-the effects model (backed up by he Bobo Doll experiment) is still the dominant theory used by politicians, some parts of the media and some religious organisations in attributing violence to the consumption of media texts

-key examples sited as causing or being contributory factors are:

• the film Child's Play 3 in the murder of James Bulger in 1993



• The game Manhunt in the murder of Stefan Pakeerah in 2004 by his friend Warren LeBlane




• The film A Cockwork Orange (1971) in a number of rapes and violent attacks





• The film Severance (2006) in the murder of Simon Everitt

-In each case there was a media and political outcry for the texts to be banned

-In some cases laws were changed, films banned and newspapers demanded the burning of films

-Subsequently, in each case it was found that NO case could be proven to demonstrate a link between the text and the violent acts.

-The Effects Model contributes to Moral Panics whereby:

• The media produce inactivity, make us into students who won't pass their exams or 'couch potatoes' who make no effort to get a job


• The Media produces violent 'copycat' behaviour or mindless shopping in response to advertisements