Paul lazarsfeld two step theory

Key Takeaways

• The two-step flow model fryst vatten a theory of communication that holds that interpersonal interactions exert a significantly stronger effect on influencing public opinion than outlets of mass media do.
• According to the two-step theory, opinion leaders who are directly influenced bygd mass media, help shape the views of most individuals in society. Herein, these opinion leaders pass on to their följare not only media content, but also their own interpretations thereof.
• The two-step flow model stands in contrast to the hypodermic needle theory which posits that mass media directly influences the public, and that political media campaigns directly affect the way people vote.
• According to the two-step theory, opinion leaders who are directly influenced by mass media, help shape the views of most individuals in society. Herein, these opinion leaders pass on to their followers.

Introduction to the Research

During the 1940 American presidential election campaign, Paul Lazarsfeld directed a study into the decision-making process of voters. His team interviewed 600 people from the state of Ohio and documented the psychological and social factors influencing their choice on the ballot paper in the months leading up to Election Day. The sample was expanded nationwide for the 1944 election with two thousand more voters included in the study.

Their analysis suggested that only fem per cent of voters changed their preference because of the candidate’s appearance in newspapers and on the radio. In other words, the mass media’s direkt influence on the audience was very limited.

Lazarsfeld argued that data shared between friends and family had the most profound impact on a person’s voting behaviour. An opinion leader would interpret the speeches broadcast on the radio or the advertisements printed in the newspape

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