Media effects theories are, in essence, an umbrella term for intertwined research areas regarding the study of media audiences and effects. Although there have been disagreements about the development of the approaches and what aspects of study need to be highlighted, three main bodies of research can be extracted as the key conceptual ideas about the effects of media. They can be understood as periods in time, marked by a paradigm shift about the impact media have on audiences.

In general, the study of media effects has a history that traces its origin to late 19th-century crowd theories or mass society research. Being open to mass-communicated media influences was seen as the result of the loss of traditional institutions of authority of family, church, and state in a society that focused intensely on individuality. Understanding this irrational behavior of a mass audience became a means for early media psychology research to ascertain the kind of satisfaction audiences derive from media use.

Littlejohn, Stephen W and Karen A.Floss. (2009). Encyclopedia of Communication Theory.USA:SAGE.632

Penanggungjawab naskah :

Gayes Mahestu
Edwina Ayu Kustiawan