Background Research - Audience Theories

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Audience Questionnaire - Theories

• By Anna Ryan

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Introduction

• Above is my questionnaire. I have created a
  questionnaire in order to work out what type of
  audiences there are who watch films, and which
  ones meet which theories.
• The purpose of this questionnaire is to put the
  audience into different categories, and I've
  tried to do this by using many different
  questions, in order to work out which theory they
  belong to.
• I'm also seeing if the audience belongs to these
  different audience theories

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Hypodermic Syringe Theory
This can also be known as the Magic Bullet
Theory. This theory implies that the media has a
powerful, directive effect on its audience. The
media (particularly in the 1940s and the 1950s)
supposedly had a powerful impact on behavioural
change, with what they gave to the audience. This
could be due to a lot of things. The rise of
television at that time, propaganda and, more
recently, the internet, where people have been
able to get information after information after
information. It suggests that the media 'inject'
a large audience with messages, which trigger a
response they want. The audience is passive, and
have a direct flow of information from the sender
to the receiver, without any escape for the
information to develop and turn into something
different, or be effected by other peoples
opinions. The audience reacts a certain way
because they're not given any other information
that would help them develop their own opinion.
An example of this is in the Second World War.
Hitler used this technique in order to input his
idea of a perfect life in the minds of the German
Citizens, getting rid of all other information in
the process. The Germans would have believed
that living how they did was the only right way
to live.
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Uses and Gratifications Theory
Also known as the Communication Theory.

• The needs and gratifications are split into five
  categories
• Cognitive needs
• Affective needs
• Personal Integrative needs
• Social Integrative needs
• Tension free needs

This theory uses the suggestion that the audience
use the media for their own personal gain. The
theory focusses on why the audience use the
media, and it suggests that the audience is
active, as opposed to other theories, such as the
Hypodermic Syringe Theory.
The audience has alternative choices and opinions
within the media. The audience gains knowledge
that they both want and need from the media.
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Continued
Cognitive Needs The media is used to get
knowledge and information. Some of the audience
have intellectual needs, whereas others have
different needs. For example, people get
information from quiz programmes, the internet
and the news.
Tension Free Needs The media is used as a relief
of tension and a type of escapism. People listen
to films, watch television and listen to music in
order to distract themselves or focus on
something different.
Affective Needs This is where people use the
media to satisfy emotional needs. For example,
this is when people watch television programmes
and connect to the characters.
Social Integrative Needs Media that allows the
audience to satisfy their need of socialising
with friends and family. An example of this is
two people watching a film or a TV Shown and then
being able to discuss their opinions about it.
Personal Integrative Needs This is when people
use the media to grow self esteem and be sure
about their status. They improve their status by
watching advertisements for products which could
be life improving, so they can buy them. This
could be as simple as a hoover.
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Two-Step Flow Theory
It is suggested that media information moves in
these stages Step One Opinion leaders are able
to get information from a media source, such as
newspapers or the internet. Step Two The
information is passed on by the opinion leaders,
with their own personal input and interpretation.
This is a theory that can also make use of the
mass media, as well as the Hypodermic Syringe
Theory. It suggests there are 'opinion leaders',
who are powerful and influential people in your
life. Anyone who influences your opinions, which
can be as simple as family or even celebrities.
They are able to influence the lesser people they
know, or who's in their group. Opinion leaders
can change over a period of time. Opinion
leaders lead over their own groups, not everyone.
An example of this is if someone listened to a
music artist, such as Lady Gaga or Madonna, and
told other people they listened to said music
artist and that they didn't like them, the people
listening would be influenced by their opinions,
and most likely agree, disliking the music artist
too.
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Reception Theory
Reception theory is a much less sinister theory.
It suggests that the audience interprets a text
in a certain way, due to their life experiences,
cultural background, age and even gender. It
suggests that the audience isn't passive, and
they don't all believe one generic meaning of a
text, and a text can look completely different to
many different people, depending on their
situations.
It also suggests that the meaning isn't in a
text, but it's created by the relationship of the
text and audience.
If two people have had the same life experiences,
and cultural background, they're interpret the
text in a similar or the same way. However, if
two people have come from completely different
backgrounds and are completely different people,
they'll interpret the text differently
The audience is active. They participate in
reading the text or watching a film, forming
their own opinions on whats in front of them.
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Active, Passive Audiences
As well as the theories, there are a number of
different factors to consider whilst creating my
questionnaire
Passive Audience This type of audience is the
complete opposite to the active audience. They
are victims of the media, and they believe what
theyre told to believe. They dont form their
own opinions on anything, as their opinions are
given to them. A passive audience can be found in
the Hypodermic Syringe theory, as theyre being
injected with certain information, as well as a
way they should think and feel. Passive audiences
are dependent on the media.
Active Audience An active audience is an audience
who participates in the film while watching it.
For example, this could be someone who tries to
work out endings before they happen or someone
who shouts at the television whilst watching it.
An active audience forms their own opinions and
reasoning behind those opinions when watching
something. They have their own ideas. Reception
theory uses an active audience, as the audience
interprets what theyre watching due to past
experiences and cultural backgrounds, therefore
they are forming their own opinions.
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Psychographic Profiles
Psychographic profiles are created with the study
of lifestyles, opinions, values, personality and
various other things which show what style of
person someone is. They are used in the marketing
and media world in order for companies to target
a certain type of audience.
The theory breaks people into seven different
groups, shown on the next slide.
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Continued
Belonger The belonger is usually the largest out
of all the groups. The stereotype of this group
includes they like community and they love being
with their friends and family and they hate
change. Not only do they belong to a group or a
community, they feel like they have to belong
there. They usually buy average cars, like
everybody else have. They are hard working people.
Achiever This person is usually a very hard
working, serious business person who would like
to keep pushing their status higher. They believe
in power and wealth, which is what initially
drives them to do what they do. Work wise, they
usually perform to a high standard all the time,
but they hate being in part of a group because
they like to set themselves apart from others.
They like to drive high priced, luxury cars and
they dont enjoy things like shopping.
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Continued Again
Emulator/ Wanna be The people who belong in
this group want to and would give anything to be
an achiever. They try and make themselves look
like an achiever to people in order to gain the
approval of people they meet. They buy copies of
good cars because they cant afford the luxury
ones but so badly want to look like they can.
Whatever the achiever is wearing, buying and
doing, they copy it. They crave attention. This
is due to low self esteem, and they need peer
approval to feel better about themselves.
Socially Conscious Type A They Socially
Conscious have two types type A and type B. This
particular group is bothered about what their
action have on society because they want to make
the world a better place by helping the poor and
the homeless. They are environmentally friendly
and they recycle, forever concerned with the
state of the world. They believe in teaching
people to be better and teaching in general,
which is why theyre highly educated.
Socially Conscious Type B Where Type A is
focussed on the good of humanity and the
environment, Type B has given up on humanity
altogether. They move into their own, small
communities and live, socially conscious, there.
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Continued Once More
Balanced/ Totally Integrated This is the smallest
group, being a mixture of the Achiever and the
Socially Conscious. They are Achievers with a
conscious and they achieve while making the world
a better place. They own big businesses but buy
goods from poor countries in order to provide
work and money for them. They dont use animal
testing and they produce their goods in a
environmentally friendly fashion.
Needs Driven These people buy on impulse, getting
what they need when they need it. They never plan
and if they do, only a little bit. They group is
usually the poorer part of the population because
they dont do cheaper, weekly shops, they buy
more expensive things at the last minute. If they
do have a bit of money, they spend it instantly,
on meals out, parties or inviting friends round
for dinner. They believe that if you dont spend
it now, it wont be there later.
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VALS Survey
Here is an extract from the website, explaining
what the VALS survey is