mass-communication-theory

186 Section 3 From Limited-Effects to Critical Cultural Theories: Ferment in the Field
significant changes have occurred and the model is no longer accurate. Unlike mechanical
parts linked by simple forms of communication, both you and your friend
can easily alter your roles, your communication links, and the content and purposes
of your messages. In other words, you regularly and routinely transform the
system that links you to others. New feedback loops spring up while old ones vanish.
New purposes develop and old purposes are forgotten.
ADOPTION OF SYSTEMS MODELS BY MASS
COMMUNICATION THEORISTS
transmissional
model
The view of mass
media as mere
senders or transmitters
of
information
Like other social scientists, mass communication researchers were drawn to systems
models. They came to see moderately complex systems models as an ideal means of
representing communication processes—a big advance over simplistic linear communication
process models common before 1960. Gradually, systems models replaced
the transmissional model implicit in most of the early effects research.
Harold Lasswell (1949) provided a cogent, succinct version of this model when he
described the communication process as who says what to whom through what
medium with what effect. This transmissional model assumes that a message source
dominates the communication process and that its primary outcome is some sort of
effect on receivers—usually one intended by the source. Influence moves or flows in
a straight line from source to receivers. The possibility that the message receivers
might also influence the source is ignored. Attention is focused on whether a source
brings about intended effects and whether unintended negative effects occur.
Mutual or reciprocal influence is not considered.
Communication theorists proposed new models of communication processes
with feedback loops in which receivers could influence sources and mutual influence
was possible. The potential for modeling mutual influence was especially attractive
for theorists who wanted to understand interpersonal communication.
Most conversations involve mutual influence. Participants send out messages,
obtain feedback, and then adjust their actions. In everyday life, people are
INSTANT ACCESS
Systems Theory
Strengths Weaknesses
1. Can be conceptualized as either micro- or
macro-level theory
2. Represents communication as a process
3. Can be used to model a limitless variety of
communication processes
4. Moves mass communication theory beyond
simple linear-effects notions
1. Has difficulty assessing causal relationships
2. Is often too simplistic to represent complex
communication patterns
3. Is perceived by some as overly mechanistic
and dehumanizing
4. Focuses attention on observable structures,
ignoring the substance of communication
5. Is unparsimonious
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