audience theory
the hyperdermic model
The hyperdermic model (also known as the effects model) suggests he audiences are passive and will tend to copy the behaviours they consume in media texts, as though they have no contol over their own behaviours, and that the consumption of media texts influence audiences in a particularly negative way. for example, young girls may tend to copy dances they see in music videos from their favourite artists.
The syringe theory is a metaphor for this model, as this suggests that the producers of such media texts 'inject' audiences with their media, which causes the 'copycat-like' behaviours to occur.
Albert Bandura's Bobo doll experiment is evidence for the hyperdermic model, as the experiment involved parents playing either roughly, or happily with a Bobo doll, and observing their child's behaviour after witnessing this, the exeriment concluded that approximately 85% of the children copied the behaviours they had witnessed from their parents onto the doll, where if the child saw their mother playing negaively with the doll, the child would then replicate their behaviours onto the doll when given the chance. (the footage from the experiment can be seen below) This concludes that people, specifically children are more likely to copy the behaviours of others, therefore content of music videos shouldn't portray positive reactions towards negative things, e.g. people having fun taking grugs, as the audience is likely to copy this behaviour.
Footage from Bandura's Bobo doll experiment
Uses of gratification
Uses of gratification states that the audience has the power, and is free to use, reject, or play with, the media they consume. Audiences consume media for a variety of reasons; diversion, escapism, information, pleasure, and sexual stimulus, therefore producers would need to research their target audience's needs and desires, and fulfill these to satisy their audience.
