lazarsfeld theory2

8/14/2019 lazarsfeld theory2

1/20

Chapter 9

Personal Influence:

The Two-Step Flow of Communication


2/20

Historical background

Status of media effects research and theory in1940s and 1950sControversies increased regarding the effects of

the media on both society and the humancondition.

Researchers were forced to reassess theproblem that the effects of the mediabothgood and badsimply did not seem to be there.

The research community believed that ahypothesis of minimal effects was closer toreality and paid attention to the more subtle andindirect influences of mass communication.


3/20

Historical background (cont)

The two-step flow theory presumed a movementof information through interpersonal networks,from the media to people and from there to other

people, rather than directly from media to mass.The Role of People in Mass Communication

EffectsSmall-groups research

Primary groupsNature vs. nurture

Social reality and meaning theory

Reference group


4/20

Overview of the Decatur Study

This study was actually a follow-up of the

research in chapter 4.

The research was actually planned in 1944, andits field work was started in Decatur in 1945.

Its findings were published in 1955 by Elihu

Katz and Paul F. Lazarsfeld in their book

Personal Influence: The Part Played by Peoplein the Flow of Mass Communication.


5/20

Overview of the Decatur Study (cont)

The research was conducted under the

auspices of the Bureau of Applied Social

Research of Columbia University. Financial

support for the project was supplied by

Mcfadden Publications, Inc. and the Roper

polling organizations.


6/20

Decatur Study Design

Purpose

--the researchers wanted to study opinion

leaders who were in actual contact with

recipients of their influence on a day-to-day basis (informal personal influence).

Four areas of influenceMarketing (food & household items)

Fashion (clothing, hair style, cosmetics)

Public affairs (political and social issues)

Movies


7/20

Examining Personal Influence

Four strategies to identify influentials

generally influential

specific influentials

everyday contacts self-designation

Other influences?

Although people were affected by other sources of

influences such as media advertising and salesmen,the opinion leaders were one of the more powerful

influences on peoples decision in the marketplace of

either consumer products and services or of ideas.


8/20

The characteristics of opinion leaders

Framework for describing opinion leaders

Position on the life cycle

Position on the communitys socioeconomic l

The extent of the individuals social contacts (


9/20

Who were the most influential

opinion leaders?

In marketing

In fashion

In public affairsFor movies


10/20

Conclusions and implications

In spite of limitations, the Decatur study

represents a pivotal point of redirection. It

tried to explore the part played by people in

the social flow of information and influence

from media to mass.

It represented the first clear and intensive

focus on social relationship and their role in

the mass communication process.

It identified the meaning functions of primary

groups, an idea that is important part of the

meaning theory of mass media portrayals.


11/20

Conclusions and implications

The Decatur study, and the two-step flow idea

generally, set off significant new directions of

research in the adoption of innovation, the

diffusion of the news, and the study ofdistortions in interpersonal communication.

The study not only failed to confirm the validity

of the idea that mass communications should be

feared, it went a long way toward making theidea look unrealistic.


12/20

Marketing leaders

Personal influence in marketing appears to

take place horizontally, in other words,

between people at the same general status

level.Large-family wives would be most thought

for advice.

The women with more social contacts were

the most influential in marketing.

Exit


13/20

Fashion leaders

It was the girls who provided the greatest

amount of influence.

The socially active have more opportunities tooffer advice to a broader range of recipients.

Status made some difference, if one was low

in this factor.

In general, it was the young, socially activewomen with middle or high status that had the

most influence.Exit


14/20

Public affairs leaders

The public affairs arena is one in which men playan important role in influencing opinion andattitudes. Those women who were opinion leaders

tended to be concentrated in the high status level.The women with more social contacts were

influential than those who are less gregarious.

There was a rather weak association between life-

cycle stage and public opinion affairs leadership.Generally, the most influential women were thebetter educated and more affluent, who had manysocial contacts. Exit


15/20

Movie selection leaders

It is dependent most of all on life-cycle position.

Gregariousness and socioeconomic status

made little difference.

In summary, moviegoing in Decatur was an

important part of the youth culture. At all status

levels and among shy as well as socially active

people, it was the young single individuals whogave the most advice.

Exit


16/20

The life cycle

Position in the life cycle raises the probability of being

knowledgeable about some topics but not others.

Exit


17/20

SES

Personal influence may travel up, down, or

laterally among the community social strata.

Three categories-high, middle, and low

status-were determined on the basis of years

of education and amount of rent paid.

Exit


18/20

social contacts

The one who regularly interacts with many people

will have more opportunities to serve as an

opinion leader.

Index of gregariousness

Exit


19/20

Group category

Primary groups

- group of limited size, whose members know

and have direct relationships with each other.

Secondary group

- group of large size, whose members interact

on a less personal level than in a primary

group, and their relationships are temporaryrather than long lasting.

Exit


20/20

Nature vs. nurtureThe famous nature versus nurture debates

sought to settle whether personality wasmainly a product of inherited factors or washeavily influenced by learning in social

settings.The influence of learning from social and

cultural sources became correspondinglymore predominant in theories of human

socialization.Primary social relationships were a

significant factor in the way people behaved(the Hawthorne studies). Exit

lazarsfeld theory2

Documents