Hypodermic Syringe Model - Audience Theory - 1920s

• The hypodermic syringe theory implies that the mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. 

• It was the first model to try to explain the effect the media has on the audience. 

• The mass media in the 1940s and 1950s was perceived as a powerful influence on behaviour change. It says that the media 'inject' meaning into the audience, who then passively accept what they have been told. 

• This theory assumes that the audience is passive and that the experience, intelligence and opinions of each individual is not relevant. 

• This theory is very outdated, but still sometimes assumed to be true by the government and the tabloid press. 

• According to Katz and Lazarfeld, the model is rooted in 1930s behaviourism and is concerned by many to be no longer exist.

• The model suggests there is a direct link between media and the behaviour or attitudes of the audience. Young audiences are seen to be the most vulnerable, because is an agent of socialisation for them, and so are more likely to be influenced by the content.

• Some people argue that the boys who murdered Jamie Bulger were influenced by what they saw in the film, Childs Play 3. This reinforces the idea that people are influenced greatly by the media messages that they receive.

• Bobo Doll Experiment - 36 boys and 36 girls, between the ages of 3 and 6. Study 1: Child was playing with toys while an adult in the corner started hitting the Bobo Doll. Children were taken into a room with a Bobo doll. Study 2: Children were left alone with sets of aggressive and non-aggresive toys to play with.

For example, for documentaries, the audience may believe everything that is being narrated is true, even though it may come from unreliable sources.