Communication Theories Overview

Summary

This video provides an overview of key communication theories, focusing on four main categories: adoption, impacts and effects, economic, and critical cultural theories. Theories of adoption, like Diffusion of Innovations and Critical Mass Theory, explore why technologies succeed or fail. Impacts and effects theories, such as Uses and Gratifications and Social Learning Theory, examine how people interact with technology and its societal impact. Economic theories analyze the influence of economic factors on technology use, while critical cultural theories address how media ownership and power structures shape content. Theories help us understand not just how technologies work, but also why we use them and their impact on our lives.

Takeaways

• 😀 Theories in communication serve as tools in an intellectual toolbox, helping to shape analysis and allowing comparisons across time and technology.
• 😀 The four types of communication theories discussed are theories of adoption, impacts and effects, economic theories, and critical cultural theories.
• 😀 Theories of adoption explore why some technologies succeed while others fail, with the Diffusion of Innovations Theory examining how new technologies spread and gain widespread use.
• 😀 Critical Mass Theory builds on the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, explaining how technologies like the telephone or email become more useful as more people adopt them.
• 😀 Social Information Processing Theory argues that consumer decisions are influenced by social factors such as prestige and coolness, not just technical specifications.
• 😀 Theories of impacts and effects focus on how and why people use technologies. Examples include Uses and Gratifications Theory, which looks at the personal needs fulfilled by technology.
• 😀 Media System Dependency Theory takes a broader view, studying the relationships between individuals, organizations, and society regarding media use.
• 😀 Social Learning and Social Cognitive Theory suggest that understanding technology use requires considering the context in which people interact with it, such as the influence of media content like violence or representation in films.
• 😀 Economic theories examine the impact of economic factors on technology use and diffusion, such as the Theory of the Long Tail, which describes the effect of choice-rich environments on technology providers.
• 😀 The Principle of Relative Constancy states that consumers will consistently spend a constant percentage of their time and disposable income on mass media over time.
• 😀 Critical and cultural theories address media ownership, power structures, and how these influence media content, exploring factors like gender, race, class, language, and societal power dynamics in media and technology.

Q & A

What are communication theories and why are they important?

Communication theories are frameworks that help explain and analyze how communication functions, particularly in relation to technologies. They are tools for intellectual analysis, allowing individuals to compare and contrast communication practices across time and technological changes.

What are the four main types of communication theories discussed in the video?

The four main types of communication theories discussed in the video are: theories of adoption, theories of impacts and effects, economic theories, and critical cultural theories.

What does the Diffusion of Innovations Theory explain?

The Diffusion of Innovations Theory, developed by Everett Rogers, explains how new technologies go from being innovations to widely-used technologies by examining the rate of adoption on both individual and macro levels.

What is the Critical Mass Theory, and how does it build upon the Diffusion of Innovations Theory?

Critical Mass Theory builds upon the Diffusion of Innovations Theory by suggesting that interactive technologies, such as the telephone or email, become more useful as more people adopt them. The theory emphasizes the increasing value of a technology as more people use it.

What does Social Information Processing Theory argue about consumer choices?

Social Information Processing Theory critiques the idea that consumer choices are purely rational or objective, instead suggesting that consumer decisions are influenced by social factors like prestige and social perceptions, in addition to technical specifications.

How do theories of impacts and effects differ from theories of adoption?

Theories of impacts and effects focus on how and why people use technologies, exploring the effects of technology on individuals and society. In contrast, theories of adoption explore why some technologies succeed and others fail, with an emphasis on the diffusion process.

What is the main concept of the Uses and Gratifications Theory?

The Uses and Gratifications Theory suggests that researchers should ask individuals how they use a technology and what they like about it to understand the needs being fulfilled by that technology.

What does Media System Dependency Theory explore?

Media System Dependency Theory expands on Uses and Gratifications Theory by analyzing technology use at individual, organizational, and societal levels, examining the relationships between these levels and how they influence media consumption.

What is the Theory of the Long Tail in economic theories?

The Theory of the Long Tail describes the effect of a choice-rich environment on technology providers, suggesting that an abundance of options in the market creates opportunities for niche products and services to succeed, even if they appeal to smaller audiences.

What do critical/cultural theories focus on in media and technology?

Critical/cultural theories focus on how media ownership and power structures influence media content, exploring the systemic and subjective factors that challenge conventional interpretations. This includes examining issues like gender, race, class, language, and power in media and technology.