There are three theories of audience that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between texts and audience.
- The effects model or the hypodermic model.
- The uses and gratifications model.
- Reception theory
The Effect model
- The consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience.
- It is normally considered that this effect is negative.
- Audience are passive and powerless to prevent the influence.
- The power lies with the message of the text.
This model is also called:
The Hypodermic mode
- Here, the message in media texts are injected into the audeince by the powerful syringe - like media.
- The audience is powerless to resist.
- Therefore, the media works like a drug and the audience is druggged, addicted, doped or duped.
Key evidence for the effects model.
- The Frankfurt school theorised in the 1920s and 30s that that the mass media acted to restrict and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and governments.
- The Bobo Doll experiment.
This is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour.
- This was conducted in 1961 by Albert Bandura
