Media Theory: The Hypodermic Needle Theory and Paradigm Shifts (W7-P1) Fa18

Let's focus now on media theories that focus on individuals and theories that are rooted, to some degree, in psychology.  Uses and gratifications theory and entertainment education theory can be put into this category.

Recall the idea that study of media began as an interdiscipline and thus borrowed from a variety of different academic disciplines?  Psychology was one of those disciplines, yes?

Before we get into uses and gratifications theory, let's go back a bit further in time.  Let's go back to one of the early mass media theories, the hypodermic needle theory.




So, according to the video what is the hypodermic need theory?  How does it focus on individual media audience members?

Rosenberry & Vicker (2017) define a paradigm as "a predominant way of conceiving a situation. A number of specific theories call all be seen as valid within a paradigm."  In this sense, a paradigm can be seen as a meta-theory.

The video above ends with pointing out media scholar eventually came to the conclusion that the hypodermic needle theory "just doesn't work."  According to Kuhn what happens when a theory doesn't work anymore?   Does that mean other theories came in and took its place?  What does this have to do with a paradigm shift?  What is a paradigm shift?  What did we shift to?


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