AUDIENCE THEORIES

By Alana Abrahams

RECEPTION THEORY

• The reception theory is split into 3 different models: the dominant reading (hegemonic), the negotiated reading and the oppositional reading (non-hegemonic).

• DOMINANT READING: This is when the consumer (reader/watcher) takes the actual meaning directly and decodes it exactly the way it was encoded. In other words it is the way that the producer intends us to receive it.

• NEGOTIATED READING: This is when the consumer accepts the meaning but doesn’t necessarily agree with what was meant by it. They modify it to a meaning that they prefer.

• OPPOSITIONAL READING: This is the complete opposite to the dominant reading. It is when the consumer completely disregards and misinterprets the intended meaning and takes it the wrong. This is usually when a reader takes something that is meant to be positive, in a negative way.

USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY

• The Uses and Gratifications theory is based around the fact that people watch media to satisfy their own individual needs.

• The theory started in 1948 as Laswell suggested that media texts had the following functions: surveillance, correlation, entertainment and cultural transmission. In 1974, Blumler and Katz broadened the theory before they published their own version. It suggested that people may choose to watch media for the following functions: surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships and entertainment/diversion.• Surveillance is information that could be useful for living, for

example: weather forecasts, world news or the latest offers.• Personal identity is learning behaviours and values from media as

finding yourself echoed from within it.• Personal relationships are using the media for emotional, social or

any other interactions.• Entertainment/diversion is the escape from everyday problems and

enjoyment of media.

DYER’S UTOPIAN SOLUTIONS

• This theory suggests that audiences consume media products as a form of escapism from their real lives. Dyer thinks that reality is a negative place and the media world is a positive place. It is closely related with the Uses and Gratifications theory.

• He stated that there are 3 different reasons why people consume media products: social tensions (audience fears they are being criticised and try to avoid social situations), inadequacy (audience doesn’t think they are good enough) or absence (audience feels like there is something missing from their life).

• “Entertainment offers the image of ‘something better’ to set against the realities of day-to-day existence” – Richard Dyer

• The consumption of media provides audiences with a ‘utopian solution’ to their problems that they have in reality.

CULTIVATION THEORY

• Cultivation theory is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television on audiences.

• "The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television.“ This theory was made by George Gerbner and Larry Gross and it was developed with the purpose of identifying the cultivated effects of television on audiences. It suggests that watching TV changes peoples behaviour and attitudes. Media can impact negatively on peoples actions and thoughts in reality.

• TV shows that are violent are said to influence young children and teenagers because they are easily influenced by the video games they play or shows they watch. They think that copying or acting in the same way as the characters/actors in the media they watch/play is ‘cool’ and makes them ‘popular’ among friends. WWE is an example of a violent show that influences teens and children around the world. There have been a number of cases where accidents have happened because children have copied the wrestling moves from one of the shows. In 2010, there was an extreme case that caused Andrew Conley to strangle his brother to death. His reasoning was because of the TV show ‘Dexter’. He idolised the main character from the show and said he was inspired by him.

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS• “People are motivated to achieve certain needs” – Abraham Maslow• When a need a fulfilled, they look to fulfil the next need and this continues in a

chain. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes 5 motivations that he believes are what motivates people when needs are not met (diagram below). He said that one must satisfy lower level needs to get to the higher levels and ultimately reach the highest level: self-actualisation.

• Self-actualisation is the realization or fulfilment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone but Maslow said that only 1 in 100 people actually reach the level of self-actualisation.

• Due to failure to meet the lower level (basic) needs and this disrupts being able to reach the higher levels. Different life experiences can effect progressing through meeting the needs, such as: divorce, loss of family/friends or loss of job. Many people use different types of media to provide the needs. For example, going to a music concert can provide people with their social needs.