Monday 25 January 2016

Audience Theories

Uses and Gratifications theory

This is where the audience goes to a media product and expects some gratification from doing so. This shows that the audience do question and analyses  media text to gain something from them. For example people may go to playing a game like ‘Gear of War’ to release stress. The player expects this game to release stress by the participation of it. The player may get disappointed if this game doesn’t give the gratification the player is waiting for. Other examples may include watching a horror and wanting the gratification of being scared. Reading the news and wanting the gratification of being shocked or informed.

"the nature of the "active" audience; the role of gratification orientations in mediating effects; the social origins of media needs and uses;" (Blumler, J. 1979)


In my opinion this theory relates to a lot of games, I know myself I go to video games for the gratification of escapism and I do best at game what have made me forget I’m playing a video game. Compared to games what haven’t immersed me I often get bored and give up.  

Passive consumption


This is where the audience responds passively to a media product. This means by if passively theory is correct when all of the audiences respond in the same way. Just like what I said about hypodermic needle model. Everyone will respond to the assassin’s creed message the same way and no one will question its logic. This could be shown in video games like the end of ‘Deus Ex Human Revolution’ at the end you have to decide one choice from four choices. If passive consumption is in fact true then the product will sway the audience to one choice and everyone will automatically decide that choice.
"A passive consumption is when the audience doesn’t engage or question the media message but just accepts it" (bentley, a. 2013)



In my opinion this theory has a degree of truth to it. I do passively watch types of media like the news; I have sometimes just accepted what they’re told and respond in sadness if the news story was sad. On the other I have found a graph which shows that people did choice differently from each other in the ‘Deus Ex Human Revolution’. In the end I believe that in games we are more active than passive as we are participating in the experience.


Reception study

This theory is the bipolar opposites to the ‘Hypodermic Needle Model’ as it about the audience being an active participator of the media product. "A branch of modern literary studies concerned with the ways in which literary works are received by readers." (Oxfordreference.com. 2016) .This can mean the audience member interpret a media product in different way to other members in the audience. The reason why audience interprets the meaning differently is because of the individual’s background and experience. For example in ‘Mass Effect 3’ you have the choice to be in a sexual/romantic relationship with a person of the opposite or same sex. As individuals have different ideals about sexuality and their own experience which have shaped them. This will affect their choice in this matter. For example a person may choose to have a sexual relationship with a person of the opposite sex in this game because religious doctrine or cultural up bringing that may not have the positivity view of homosexuality. 
In my opinion this theory is truth and does input the media in many ways like the example in ‘Mass Effect 3’ if it only allowed for same sex relationships then people heterosexuals may feel left out. The Reception study helps accept different belief in the audience and how to not be so one sided



Hypodermic Needle Model

The audience accept anything that the media says. They are powerless to make their own decision. Believing any ideology and mythology it shows us.

"Hypodermic Needle Theory is a linear communication theory which suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of a passive audience. It suggests that we’re all the same and we all respond to media messages in the same way."  (Lamb, B.2013)

 For example in a game called ‘Assassin’s creed’ the main message of this game is ‘nothing is true and everything is permitted.’ If Hypodermic needle model theory was true then it is spreading the message that there is not truth and it is all just permitted. This throws everyone’s religions and theory out the window because this media produce said what they believe is false. On the other hand this could apply to young children and mentally unstable people are more impressionable and are more likely to believe what the media says and brainwashes them.

In my opinion this game hasn’t changed my opinion as I am able to decide if this is true or false. I think this theory limits games to an indoctrination tool instead of a looking glass into how people view the world.

Bibliography 
bentley, a. (2013). Passive or Active Consumption. [online] Media Fort. Available at: https://mediafort.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/passive-or-active-consumption/comment-page-1/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

Blumler, J. (1979). The Role of Theory in Uses and Gratifications Studies. volume 6.

 Lamb, B. (2013). The Hypodermic Needle Theory | VCE Media, VELS Media, Media Arts, digital literacy, media education, filmmaking. [online] lessonbucket. Available at: http://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-hypodermic-needle-theory/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

Oxfordreference.com. (2016). Reception theory - Oxford Reference. [online] Available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100407730 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

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