The two step flow of communication

1
The two step flow of communication

• Ideas often flow from radio and print to opinion
  leaders and from these to the less active
  sections of society

B
B
A
B
2
Peoples choice Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet

• Ground breaking study
• Dispelled the myth of direct influence
• Changed the view on the audience
• 3 major findings
• Personal contacts are more influential than the
  media
• Opinion leaders found at every level of society
• Opinion leaders are more exposed to the formal
  media
• Design
• decision was a clear unit that could be measured
• could locate change as soon as it occured
• random sample extracted individuals form social
  environment

3
Improvements to the Design

• AIM to develop a method that can take into
  account interpersonal relations, this means both
  parts of the advisor/advisee relationship must be
  include .
• Rovere
• Advice givers selected by criteria whether they
  were mentioned 4 times.
• Decatur
• Looked at validity of self designation approach
  to opinion leaders
• This highlighted the oversimplification of the
  advisor/advicee dyad this lead to the change in
  method for the drug study

4

• The drug study
• Wanted to take into account the whole structure
  of the social group
• Not using a representative cross section. Instead
  interviewed everyone in the field which ensured
  the pairs would be included in the sample.
• Had a more objective framework
• Specific item drug acceptance
• Measure audit of prescription from pharmacies
• sociometric question used to establish social
  framework and the integration of individual
  doctors

5
Results

• The impact of personal influences
• Decatur confirmed the finding that personal
  influence is greater than any influence of the
  mass media.
• Strongest when the primary group all share the
  same opinion
• Various roles of the media- can inform and
  reinforce decisions
• The flow of personal influence
• The selection of leaders is linked to the topic
  eg politics or fashion and there is very little
  overlap
• Opinion leaders and the mass media
• Opinion leader on the whole are more exposed and
  in some areas more affected by the media

6
Implications

• Additions and modifications to the theory
• Influencer and influenced may switch roles
• Most opinion leaders are influenced by other
  people
• Interpersonal relations are
• Channels of information
• Sources of social pressure
• Sources of social support