the two-step flow theory.ppt

8/14/2019 The Two-Step Flow Theory.ppt

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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

the two-step flow theory.ppt

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