the two-step flow theory.ppt
TRANSCRIPT
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The Two-Step Flow
Theory
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In 1948, Paul Lazarsfeld,Bernard Berelson and HazelGaudet published ThePeople's Choice
a paper analyzing the votersdecision-making processes
during a 1940 presidentialelection campaign.
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The study revealed evidence suggestingthat the flow of mass communication is
less directthan previously supposed.Although the ability of mass media toreach a large audience, and in this case
persuade individuals in one direction oranother, had been a topic of muchresearch since the 1920's, it was not
until the People's Choice was publishedthat society really began to understandthe dynamics of the media-audience
relationship.
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The study suggested thatcommunication from the mass media
first reaches "opinion leaders" whofilter the information they gatherto their associates, with whomthey are influential.
What did previous
theories suggest?
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Previous theories assumed that mediadirectly reached the target of the
information.
For the theorists, the opinion leader
theory proved an interestingdiscovery considering therelationship between media and itstarget was not the focus of theresearch, but instead a small aspectof the study.
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Essentially whatLazarsfeld
discovered is thatmany voters regardfamily members and
close personalfriends, and not themass media, as
major influences inthe decision makingprocess.
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These people of
influence, whopass oninformation
received in themedia to otherpeople insociety, werecoined opinion
leaders.
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Media are seen as
SEMI-ACTIVE
Audience are seen as
ACTIVE
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Mass Media
Opinion leaders Individuals in social contact with opinion leader
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Do you think thismodel is slightly
misleading?
Why?
h d l f d
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The model is often presentedgraphically as shown on the last slide.In fact, that is somewhat misleading asit suggests that mass media messagesflow first to opinion leaders and fromthem to the rest.
Obviously, that's not the case, sinceyou and I can both receive messagesdirectly. The point is that themessages we receive are then modifiedthrough the pattern of our social
contacts.
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If opinionleaders wereable to havethis effect on
peoplesdecision, what
do you thinktheircharacteristics
were?
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1.Who do you regularly turn to forinformation?
2.Whose opinion do you regard asable to change your own?
3.Have you yourself changedanybodys opinions about
anything?4.Who are your personal opinion
leaders?
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This early research was laterdeveloped by Katz andLazarsfeld and presented intheir book Personal Influence
(1955).
A number of significantconclusions follow from their
research:
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Our responses to media messages willbe mediated through our socialrelationships. The effects of mediamessages being sharply limited byinterpersonal relationships and groupmembership.
It is misleading to think of receivers asmembers of a 'mass audience' since
that implies that they are all equal intheir reception of media messages,whereas in fact some play a more
active role than others.
d l
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Receiving a message does not implyresponding to it; nor does non-receptionimply non-response (since we may stillreceive the message via interpersonalcommunication).
There are some people amongst themedia audience who act as opinion leaders(typically such people use the mass media
more than the average) mix more thanthe average across social classes and seethemselves and are seen by others as
having an influence on others.
Th t l i fl
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The term personal influence wascoined to refer to the processintervening between the medias direct
message and the audiences ultimatereaction to that message.
Opinion leaders are quite influential ingetting people to change their attitudesand behaviours and are quite similar tothose they influence.
The Two-Step Flow Theory hasimproved our understanding of how the
mass media influence decision making.
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The theory refined the
ability to predict theinfluence of mediamessages on audiencebehaviour, and it helpedexplain why certain media
campaigns may have failedto alter audience attitudesand behaviour.
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What do you think
are the strengths ofthis model?
What do you thinkare the weaknesses
of this model?
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Strength
The model examines the waythat personal relationshipsmay help to mediate messages
from the media
Weakness It doesnt explain why opinionleaders should be active