Theories of Mass Communication | Glossary
agenda setting
theory that argues that media may not tell us what to think but that media tell
us what to think about
attitude change theory
theory that explains how peopleís attitudes are formed, shaped, and
changed and how those attitudes influence behavior
critical cultural theory idea that media operate primarily to justify and support the status quo at the
expense of ordinary people
cultivation analysis
idea that television ìcultivatesî or constructs a reality of the world that, although
possibly inaccurate, becomes the accepted reality simply because we as a culture believe it to be the
reality
cultural theory
the idea that meaning and therefore effects are negotiated by media and
audiences as they interact in the culture
dependency theory
idea that mediaís power is a function of audience membersí dependency on the
media and their content
disinhibitory effects
in social learning theory, seeing a model rewarded for prohibited or threatening
behavior increases the likelihood that the observer will perform that behavior
dissonance theory
argues that people, when confronted by new information, experience a kind of
mental discomfort, a dissonance; as a result, they consciously and subconsciously work to limit or
reduce that discomfort through the selective processes
grand theory
a theory designed to describe and explain all aspects of a given phenomenon
hypodermic needle theory
system
idea that media are a dangerous drug that can directly enter a personís
identification in social learning theory, a special form of imitation where observers do not exactly copy
what they have seen but make a more generalized but related response
imitation
in social learning theory, the direct replication of an observed behavior
inhibitory effects
in social learning theory, seeing a model punished for a behavior reduces the
likelihood that the observer will perform that behavior
limited effects theory medias' influence is limited by peopleís individual differences, social categories,
and personal relationships
magic bullet theory
the mass society theory idea that media are a powerful killing force that directly
penetrates a persons' system
mainstreaming
in cultivation analysis, televisionís ability to move people toward a common
understanding of how things are
mass communication theories explanations and predictions of social phenomena relating mass
communication to various aspects of our personal and cultural lives or social systems
mass society theory
the idea that media are corrupting influences; they undermine the social order,
and average people are defenseless against their influence
middle-range theories ideas that explain or predict only limited aspects of the mass communication
process
modeling
in social learning theory, learning through imitation and identification
neo-Marxist theory
the theory that people are oppressed by those who control the culture, the
superstructure, as opposed to the base Frankfurt School media theory, centered in neo-Marxism, that
valued serious art, viewing its consumption as a means to elevate all people toward a better life; typical
media fare was seen as pacifying ordinary people while repressing them
news production research
the study of how economic and other influences on the way news is
produced distort and bias news coverage toward those in power
observational learning in social learning theory, observers can acquire (learn) new behaviors simply by
seeing those behaviors performed
opinion followers
two-step flow theory
people who receive opinion leadersí interpretations of media content; from
opinion leaders
people who initially consume media content, interpret it in light of their own
values and beliefs, and then pass it on to opinion followers; from two-step flow theory
paradigm
a theory that summarizes and is consistent with all known facts
paradigm shift fundamental, even radical rethinking of what people believe to be true for a given body
of knowledge
product positioning
the practice in advertising of assigning meaning to a product based on who buys
the product rather than on the product itself
reinforcement theory
reinforcement
Joseph Klapper's idea that if media have any impact at all it is in the direction of
selective attention
see selective exposure
selective exposure
the idea that people expose themselves or attend to those messages that are
consistent with their preexisting attitudes and beliefs
selective perception
idea that people interpret messages in a manner consistent with their
preexisting attitudes and beliefs
selective processes
people expose themselves to, remember best and longest, and reinterpret
messages that are consistent with their preexisting attitudes and beliefs
selective retention
assumes that people remember best and longest those messages that are
consistent with their existing attitudes and beliefs
signs in social construction of reality, things that have subjective meaning in social construction of
reality, things that have subjective meaning
social cognitive theory the idea that people learn by observation
social construction of reality theory for explaining how cultures construct and maintain their realities
using signs and symbols; argues that people learn to behave in their social world through interaction
with it
symbolic interaction the idea that people give meaning to symbols and then those symbols control
peoples' behavior in their presence
symbols
in social construction of reality, things that have objective meaning
two-step flow theory the idea that mediaís influence on peopleís behavior is limited by opinion
leaders, people who initially consume media content, interpret it in light of their own values and beliefs,
and then pass it on to opinion followers†who have less frequent contact with media
typification schemes in social construction of reality, collections of meanings people have assigned to
some phenomenon or situation
uses and gratifications approach
with media
the idea that media don't do things to people; people do things