CMST 3K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Bernard Berelson, Hypodermic Needle, Mass Society

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Communication Studies
• Course: CMST 3K03
• Professor: Matthew Tegelberg

Document Summary

Early theories of audience: from effects" to uses and gratifications". Context: several factors contribute to this strong effects based approach to audience studies, including: Mass society or mass culture thesis: modern society was characterized by the brealdown of traditional social responsibilities and ties, leading to mass of alienated individuals who could be led and see slide: uses and gratifications. Two studies begin to question the assumptions of the effects approach : The people"s choice: how the voter makes up his mind in a presidential campaign. Paul f. lazerfeld, bernard berelson and hazel gaudet (1944) The study: in 1944, during a presidential campaign in ohio, 600 respondents were questioned each month, for 7 months, about how they planned on voting. Two main groups emerged: those who changed their opinion and those who didn"t.