Lecture 6 Flashcards
(16 cards)
Which theories for Public Relations fit with ‘message encoded by transmitter’?
- Framing
- Excellence theory
- Image restoration theory
- Situational crisis communication theory
Which theories for Public Relations fit with ‘message sent through medium’?
- Uses and gratifications
- Agenda setting
- Framing
- Two-step flow
- Diffusion of innovations
- Spiral of silence
Which theories for Public Relations fit with ‘message decoded by the receiver’?
- Elaboration Likelihood model (ELM)
- Cialdini’s principles of influence
- Inoculation theory
Framing in the context of ‘message encoded by transmitter’
🧠 Framing
* Focus: How communicators shape the meaning of a message.
* You “encode” the message by choosing certain words, angles, or contexts to influence how people interpret the issue.
* Example: Framing an environmental tax as “polluter pays” vs. “job killer.”
Excellence Theory in the context of ‘message encoded by transmitter’
🧠 Excellence Theory
* Focus: Strategic, two-way communication for mutual understanding.
* You “encode” the message to align with stakeholder expectations and ensure clarity, transparency, and relationship-building.
* It also stresses symmetry—how you craft and adjust messages to build trust.
Image Restoration Theory (Benoit) in the context of ‘message encoded by transmitter’
🧠 Image Restoration Theory (Benoit)
* Focus: Repairing reputation through message choices.
* The sender (e.g., a PR team) “encodes” different strategies (denial, apology, justification) depending on the type of reputational threat.
Situational Crisis Communication Theory (Coombs) in the context of ‘message encoded by transmitter’
🧠 Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT – Coombs)
* Focus: Matching message strategy to how much responsibility the public assigns in a crisis.
* The sender “encodes” the crisis response (e.g., deny, rebuild, diminish) based on the type of crisis and perceived blame.
Uses and gratifications in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
📺 Uses and Gratifications
* Focus: What audiences do with media
* People choose certain media channels to satisfy their needs (e.g., information, entertainment, connection).
* The message reaches them through the medium they prefer.
📌 Relevance: The medium matters, because the audience is actively selecting how they receive the message.
Agenda setting in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
📰 Agenda-Setting Theory
* Focus: How media influence what people think is important
* The more coverage an issue gets in the media, the more important it feels to the public.
* The message travels through the medium (news) and sets the public agenda.
📌 Relevance: It’s about how media channels distribute issues into public consciousness.
Framing in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
🧠 Framing
* Focus: How messages are shaped through the media
* The medium presents messages in a particular way — emphasizing certain angles or interpretations.
* Framing happens within the medium, not just during message creation.
📌 Relevance: The medium influences how the message is received, not just what the message is.
Two-step flow in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
👥 Two-Step Flow
* Focus: Messages move through influencers
* The media sends a message → opinion leaders receive it → they pass it on to others.
* The message moves through two layers of media/people.
📌 Relevance: The path of the message is essential — it flows through multiple “media” layers.
Diffusion of innovations in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
🌱 Diffusion of Innovations
* Focus: How new ideas spread through a population
* Mass media play a role in the early stages, helping innovations reach early adopters.
* After that, interpersonal channels take over.
📌 Relevance: Mass media are the launchpad, transmitting messages that start the diffusion.
Spiral of silence in the context of ‘message sent through medium’
🤐 Spiral of Silence
* Focus: People stay silent when they believe their view is not shared by the majority (as seen in media).
* The media sends a dominant message → others adjust their behavior to avoid isolation.
📌 Relevance: The medium signals social norms, shaping what people express or suppress.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) in the context of ‘message decoded by the receiver’
🔎 Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
* Focus: How people process persuasive messages.
* Explains two routes:
* Central route: Deep, thoughtful processing
* Peripheral route: Quick, surface-level cues (like credibility or visuals)
📌 Fit: This model is entirely about decoding — how much effort the receiver puts into understanding the message and how that affects persuasion.
Cialdini’s principles of influence in the context of ‘message decoded by the receiver’
🧲 Cialdini’s Principles of Influence
* Focus: What psychological triggers influence a receiver’s behavior.
Principles include:
* Authority (people trust and follow credible, knowledgeable experts)
* Reciprocity (feeling obliged to give back, when received somethig first)
* Liking (more easily influenced by people we like or feel conncected to)
* Scarcity (people what more of what they can have less of
* Social proof (people look at what others do to guide their own behavior)
* Commitment & consistency (once people commit to something, they want to act consistently with it)
📌 Fit: These principles work at the receiver level — the message is decoded through emotional and cognitive shortcuts, not necessarily logic.
Inoculation theory in the context of ‘message decoded by the receiver’
🛡️ Inoculation Theory
* Focus: How to prepare receivers to resist future persuasion.
* By exposing people to a weakened version of a counter-argument, they build “mental antibodies” against persuasion.
📌 Fit: The effectiveness depends entirely on how the receiver interprets and reacts to the inoculation message — it’s all about the decoding process.
