Reception Theory

• Given the Effects model and the Uses and Gratifications have their problems and limitations a different approach to audience was developed by the academic Stuart Hall at Birmingham University in the 1970s
• This considered how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then decoded (understood) by audiences.

The theory suggests that;

• When a producer constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience
• In some instances audience will correctly decode the message or meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say
• In some instances the audience will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message

Stuart Hall identified three types of audience readings (or decoding) of the text;

1. Dominant or preferred
2. Negotiated
3. Oppositional

1. Dominant

• Where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do and broadly agrees with it
• E.g. Watching a political speech and agreeing with it

2. Negotiated

• Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in the light of previously held views
• E.g. Neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested

3. Oppositional

• Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons
• E.g. Total rejection of the political speech and active opposition

The Uses and Gratifications Model

• The audience is active
• The audience uses the text & is not used by it
• The audience uses the text for its own gratification or please

• Here, power lies with the audience not the produces
• This theory emphasises what audiences do with media text how and why they use them
• Far from being duped by the media, audience is free to reject use or play with the media meanings as they see fit

Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for;

• Diversion
• Escapism
• Information
• Pleasure
• Comparing relationships and lifestyles with ones own
• Sexual stimulation

The audience is in control and consumption of the media, helps people with issues such as;

• Learning
• Emotional satisfaction
• Relaxation
• Help with issues of personal identity
• Help with issues of social identity
• Help with issues of aggression and violence

• Controversially the theory suggests the consumption of violent images can be helpful rather that harmful
• The theory suggests that audiences act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence
• The audiences inclination towards violence is therefor sublimated and they are less likely to commit violent acts

The Hypodermic Model

• Here, the messages in the media texts are injected in to the audience by powerful, syringe- like, media


• the audience is powerless to resist


• Therefore, the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted, doped or duped

The Frankfurt School theorised in the 1920s and 30s that the mass acted to restrict and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and goverments.

The Bobo Doll experiment

This is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour.

• This was cunducted in 1961 by Albert Bandura


• In the experiment;


• children watched a video watched an adult violently attacked a clown toy called a Bobo Doll


• The children were then taken to a room with attractive toys that they were not permitted to touch


• The children were then led to another room with the Bobo Dolls


• 88% of the children imitated the violent behaviour that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of children reproduced the same violent behaviour


• The conclusion reached was that children will imitate violent media content


• There are many problems with the experiment.


• The effects Model (backed up by the Bobo Doll experiment) is still the dominant theory used by politicians, some parts of the media and some religious organisations in attributing violence to the consumption of media texts

Key examples sited as causing or being contributory factors are;

• The film Child's Play 3 in the murder of James Bulger in 1993


• The game Manhunt in the Murder of Stefan Pakeeran in 2004 by his friend Warren LeBlanc


• The film A Clockwork Orange (1971) in a number of rapes and violent attacks


• The film Severance (2006) in the murder of Simon Everitt

• In each case there was a media and political outery for the texts to be banned


• In some cases laws were changed, films banned, and newspapers demanded the burning of films


• Subsequently, in each case it was found that No case could be proven to demonstrate a link between the text and the violent acts

The Effects Model contributed to Moral Panics whereby:

• The media produce inactivity, make as into students who won't pass their exams or 'coach potatoes' who make no effort to get a job


• The media produces violent 'copycat' behaviour or mindless shopping in response to advertisements.

The Effects Model

• The consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audienec
• It is normally considered that this effect in negative
• Audiences are passive and powerless to prevent the influence
• The power lies with the message of the text

Killer Xmas

Due to my January exams, revision, homework and coursework I have had a lack of time to get onto the computer to update my blog over the holidays. From now on i will be updating my blog on a more regular bases.