Unit 6 Critical Approaches

Learning Outcome 3 Questionnaire and presentation on the effects of computer gaming

Audience Theories
Hypodermic Needle/Magic Bullet
The hypodermic needle effect injects a message directly into the thoughts of the audience without
them having a choice in the matter. It relies on the fact that we subconsciously absorb information
which can change the way we think about something. The theory suggests that media can affect its
audience directly en masse by injecting them with a message designed to influence a specific
emotion or thought. The imagery behind the name suggests that a needle (media) injects a
substance (message) into a passive audience to initiate a response; or indeed that a bullet (message)
is shot from the gun (media) into the viewers head (audiences mind).

The magic bullet effect can have a positive or negative outcome. For example, a person may have
recently watched a film where the hero of the story does something which is bad or illegal, like drug
use. The audience would have a positive relationship with the character as he or she is the hero, and
this could result in them thinking that drug use is acceptable because, if the heros doing it then why
not them?
A real life example which has become quite famous is the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the
Worlds, which was so realistic that many people who had not heard the disclaimer at the start of the
broadcast thought that they were listening to an account of a real alien attack. As one might
imagine, a small panic occurred. After the occurrence, there was a lot of outrage in the media about
the programs cruelly deceptive
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nature. Although this example is of a response to the effects of
the hypodermic needle model, I dont think it qualifies as a very accurate representation of the
intended use of the theory. I tend to think of the model as more of an attempt to subtly induce a
reaction in ones thoughts or feelings about a certain topic rather than to initiate a physical reaction
due to misconception. There are video games like GTA, CoD, and other games of a violent nature
which much more accurately represent the models effects. There is some dispute about this
however for example when the shootings at Columbine occurred, the media stated on several

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio_drama)
occasions that the killer was a troubled boy who played violent video games the average reader is
going to lap this up and believe that video games are the sole cause of his violence in an instant
(which interestingly is another example of the hypodermic needle effect), which is absolutely not the
case in my opinion. I play violent video games, but I consider myself a very passive and non-violent
person; and none of my friends would describe me as a violent. Ive seen many dark psychological
thrillers or crime dramas in my time as well none of those have changed my morals about justice,
or right and wrong. I think that in some ways the hypodermic needle effect is a bit fake in video
games it entirely depends upon the player. I know some people who are quite violent and my initial
reaction is to think that they must play a lot of violent video games then I realise that the reason I
thought that is because the newspapers keep suggesting that violent games are the cause of violent
acts and that message has subconsciously taken root in my mind and changed the way I think about
it. I dislike the hypodermic needle effect because in its raw form it can alter the way someone thinks,
which could be considered an invasion of privacy because it might not change their mind at the
flick of a switch but rather cause more and more distress the more they think about the effects of
the messages being injected into them. Right now Im feeling like someone has intruded into the
privacy of my mind, planted the seed of an idea that I didnt originally think for myself, and is now
watching my mind scramble in frustration trying to grasp hold of which opinion is actually mine. In
short, the hypodermic needle effect is basically inception.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/2497978/Grand-Theft-Auto-blamed-
over-Thai-taxi-driver-murder.html
This news article is another example of how the hypodermic needle can affect people or at least
plant the seed in someones mind to make them think that the video games are the cause of the
violence.
Uses and Gratification theory
The uses and gratification theory is dissimilar to the hypodermic needle effect, because the audience
is active rather than passive. The audience uses the media they consume, rather than being used by
it. An example of this is newspaper preference people who read tabloids choose to do so because
they are looking for a more quirky, social-based coverage of whats happening in the world, while
people who read well written newspapers like The Times or The Guardian are looking more for a
well-informed, unbiased and fair account. The uses and gratification theory is based on the fact that
although media can be controlling, we can actually control what media we see. Another way of
putting it is that when we encounter a piece of media, we dont just mindlessly consume it but
rather we expect to get something out of it a kind of gratification from the media.
The uses and gratification theory suggests that when we consume media in one form or another it is
due to at least one of the following reasons:
Information We want to discover and learn about whats happening in society and the world. We
use the news and documentaries and so on to be able to acquire knowledge and understanding
about something.
Personal identity We use the media we consume to look for role models for ourselves. For
example, we connect with characters we watch in dramas on TV the characters go through an
open struggle with something which can often connect to the thoughts we as the audience are
having ourselves. We want to feel connected to these characters because it helps us determine our
own values and because when a character we feel connected to triumphs, we feel positive as well.
To Entertain We consume media for enjoyment, when we want to relax, fill time, or just numbly
absorb something to keep us occupied. Its a way for us to escape, and we can forget our troubles
for a short while and become absorbed in someone elses story.
Social Integration and interaction We use the media to find out more about the circumstances
others are in. The media provides a topic of conversation between people and can help start
discussions.
Thinking about this theory in terms of video games, we know that people play games to entertain
themselves to escape as I said earlier. A great example is GTA because its a 1
st
person character
controlling game with great detail and an almost endless list of possibilities, unlike some games
where only a limited amount of choices can be made. This means people can lose themselves in the
GTA world and can make choices which otherwise they wouldnt be able to make in the real world.
This can subconsciously help people express the thoughts and emotions they would otherwise
struggle to express in real life.

Passive and Active Consumption
What do we mean by passive and active?
Passive Consumers
Followers
Dominated
Easily manipulated
Weak willed
Compliant
Controlled
Active Consumers
Responsive
Engaged
Free willed
In control
Involved
The general difference is that a passive audience is affected by the media, whereas an active
audience interacts with the media to create meaning.
Active consumption is where the audience will involve themselves with the media messages theyre
being given, by discussing them and engaging themselves in the topic of the message. One TV
programme which has an active audience is Question Time. The show has a panel of politicians and
journalists who will answer questions thrown at them by the live audience and hold general
discussion about each topic. Theres the TV audience as well though the people at home watching
the programme on TV. These people are the passive audience as theyre less involved with the
debate. The live audience is the active audience the people who are interested enough in what the
programme offers to actually show up and ask questions themselves.
Passive consumption is where an audience doesnt engage with the topic at all, but rather absorbs
the information being given to them without properly thinking about it or questioning anything they
hear. Most TV shows are watched by passive audiences who sit at home and watch the telly.
Reception Theory
The reception theory is all about how the audience absorbs the media information they receive. The
producers and directors of a production will work on creating a message which is designed to be
hidden, but still be received by the audience. The audience can receive this message in a number of
ways:
1. Dominant
2. Negotiated
3. Oppositional
Dominant is similar to the hypodermic needle effect -= the audience will essentially hear a piece of
information (or receive a message) and instantly believe/agree with it. For example, in Bowling For
Columbine, the message is that public ownership of guns shouldnt be legal. We as the audience
receive this message and agree with it because Michael Moore presents the information in such an
up-front manner.
Negotiated is when more than one piece of information has been released about a subject, which
causes dispute and discussion in the audiences opinions of it. This means they agree, disagree or
question the message being told, due to the previously released news or media.
Oppositional is when the audience recognizes the dominant message being told but refuses to be
influenced by it due to their current, firm opinion on that matter. For example, in a political context,
a party might give a speech about something which fundamentally a member of the audience might
agree with, but because that party is not the one they support they instantly decide that they dont
want to agree with the message being told. The audience doesnt have to agree with the message in
place though if they disagree with it from the start then this just enhances their feeling of
opposition to that party. This is the oppositional response.
An example of this theory in the context of video games would be messages given out by GTA V and
COD. For example, due to the nature of these games, lets imagine the message of the games is that
violence is okay and should be tolerated. The three responses the audience would have to this are as
follows:
The dominant response would be if the audience recognized the message and agreed with it
believing, themselves, that violence is acceptable.
The negotiated response would be if the audience recognized the message and questioned it due to
their previous life experiences or from other information that they have received.
Finally, the oppositional response would be if the audiences recognized the message that violence is
acceptable and rejected it due to their own beliefs on the matter.
In my opinion, I think the best theory is the uses and gratifications theory, because the audience is
involved with the topic and can input their own opinions into a debate and discuss them with others.
I prefer this to the hypodermic needle theory, which I find quite intrusive to our daily lives. The
hypodermic needle theory is the one I like the least due to this way of treating the audience so badly
as if they are puppets to a master.