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Some early communication research & models

Some early communication research & models . Communication Theory & Research LSC 720 – Fall 2005. The earliest research Question?. How do mass media affect us – people and society? (called “media effects”) Still the main theoretical question. The earliest answer?. “Magic bullet” theory

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Some early communication research & models

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  1. Some early communication research & models Communication Theory & Research LSC 720 – Fall 2005

  2. The earliest research Question? • How do mass media affect us – people and society? (called “media effects”) • Still the main theoretical question

  3. The earliest answer? • “Magic bullet” theory • Media have direct and powerful effects on people • Why? Early 20th century concepts:

  4. Why powerful media effects? 1. Mass society • Result of industrialization, urbanization • Population of identical, undifferentiated people • Unconnected, new urban mix • Rootless (alienation, lost traditions, etc., a la Durkheim’s “anomie”)

  5. Why powerful media effects? 2. Pervasive, highly efficient mass media • Newspapers and wire services • Broad reach of radio • Emergence of television 3. Effective WW I propaganda 4. Shannon’s math model of communication • source -> msg -> channel -> receiver

  6. Brief history of Comm research, 1: • Earliest by psychologists, sociologists • Later, Communication PhDs • 1950s – Illinois, later Stanford • Now 100s of PhD programs • But still wide-open field • Comm research in Poli Sci, Psychology, Sociology, Marketing, Education, etc. • And becoming more important

  7. Brief history of Comm research, 2: • Communication becoming more important • By 1955, 50% of work force in “information society” industries • Technological changes • Print – 1500s • Newspapers – 1834 • Magazines – 1950s (general interest)

  8. Brief history of Comm research, 3: • More Technological changes • Film – 1920s • Radio – 1920s • TV – 1950s • All generated more questions for research, and more concerns (e.g., effects on children)

  9. The Payne Fund Studies

  10. The War of the Worlds

  11. Why the panic? (research by Cantril) • Radio – new medium in 1938 • Dramatic excellence • Used “experts,” and real locations • Many tuned in late, missed intro • Contemporary history – worries about Hitler and invasions

  12. Theory so far? • Powerful media influences • Magic bullet • aka Hypodermic needle model • But now…

  13. Limited effects:The People’s Choice

  14. Now, 1940 election: Roosevelt v Wilkie • Paul Lazarsfeld: How do voters decide? • Called “Most important research in communication history”

  15. How voters decide • 3000 H’holds in Erie County, Ohio • What’s media’s role? • New sampling, and statistics • Systematic interviewing • 600 people interviewed 6 times in 6 months • Control panels

  16. Very big project • Took 4 years to analyze data and publish book

  17. Result? • Small media effects, and not simple direct effects • Reinforced most who already decided • Converted few (about 8%) who had weak predispositions • Predispositions most important • Blue collar – Democrats • White collar - Republican

  18. Result? • Only opinion leaders paid attention to media • Two-step flow MM -> Opin leaders -> mass • So social relationships (who you talk to) were very important • Limited media influence • “Far from drowning (in media propaganda) many people didn’t get their feet wet.”

  19. Research since 1950 • How important is mass media? • What conditions for influence? • How does it work? • New theories unfolding; more complex, more thoughtful, less simplistic

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