Audience Theories

Hypodermic Needle Theory

The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by ‘shooting’ or ‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response.

Copycat/Modelling Theory




This theory suggests that audiences will copy what they see in the media. However, this is not so much of a theory as opposed to an assumption that has been blown out of contrast by the press. The most notable example as discussed earlier is the Bulger murder case as they appeared to be imitating actions from the movie 'Child's Play 3'.


Cultivation Theory




Cultivation theory is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television. "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." Cultivation leaves people with a misperception of what is true in our world.

Uses/Gratification Theory





It is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media.


Desensitisation Theory



This theory states that the longer we are exposed to violence, horror or any other shocking material, we eventually become less sensitive to it and any real life equivalents.

Reception Theory



Reception theory is a version of reader response literary theory that emphasizes the reader's reception of a literary text. It is more generally called audience reception in the analysis of communications models.