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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 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 • Media have direct and powerful effects on people • Why? Early 20th century concepts:
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”)
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
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
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)
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)
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
Theory so far? • Powerful media influences • Magic bullet • aka Hypodermic needle model • But now…
Now, 1940 election: Roosevelt v Wilkie • Paul Lazarsfeld: How do voters decide? • Called “Most important research in communication history”
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
Very big project • Took 4 years to analyze data and publish book
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
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.”
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