A Dependency Model of Mass-Media Effects

TLDR

Researchers have struggled to clarify media effects because they have used inappropriate theoretical frameworks and studied the wrong questions, and audience dependency is especially high in societies where media perform central information functions during rapid social change. The study proposes the dependency model of media effects, positing that the audience–media–society relationship directly determines media influence, with audience dependency on media information being the key condition for altering beliefs, behavior, or feelings. The model is elaborated by examining cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects that can be analyzed within this framework. The model is illustrated through analysis of multiple cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects, demonstrating its applicability for research.

Abstract

It is suggested that one of the reasons that there is such a lack of clarity as to whether the media have effects is that researchers have proceeded from the wrong theoretical conceptualizations to study the wrong questions. The dependency model of media effects is presented as a theoretical alternative in which the nature of the tripartite audience-media-society relationship is assumed to most directly determine many of the effects that the media have on people and society. The present paper focuses upon audience dependency on media information resources as a key interactive condition for alteration of audience beliefs, behavior, or feelings as a result of mass communicated in formation. Audience dependency is said to be high in societies in which the media serve many central information functions and in periods of rapid social change or pervasive social conflict. The dependency model is further elaborated and illustrated by examination of several cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects which may be readily analyzed and researched from this theoretical framework.