More Significant Message From The Media example essay topic

There can be two different ways of considering political persuasion. Some say that it has a great deal of power to influence change, and other believes it is nothing more than mere exposure. There are two models that support each of these ideas on estimating persuasive effects. "Minimal effects theory argues that personal differences, group membership, and friendship are more likely to enter onto the information of political attitudes than messages delivered through the media" (p. 353). Minimal effect theory argues that that personal differences, group memberships, and friendships are more likely to influence people than the persuasion of the mass media. More so than ever we are exposed to the mass media more than ever.

We must take into consideration that due to the mere exposure effect the impact is not as strong as it once was. The more you see things the more likely you " re to become desensitized to it. Consider violence on television. In the past decade or so the amount of violence on television has increased dramatically. Where we used to be sensitive to the violence know it seems like commonplace and it doesn't affect us any longer. The violence must become more gruesome and more extreme to penetration through our desensitization.

This model can be correlated with those who have stronger anchors of commitment and non-commitment. They will not be easily persuaded by the mass media. They rely on trusted personal sources for information, or they already have a strong anchor and the messages from the media will have no significant effects. The significant effects model argues for large and or significant effects.

The significant effects model is based on change in awareness of a particular candidate of message rather than an attitudinal change. Specific devices can be used to center our attention to a directed message. "Agenda setting, which involves framing a story in a way that asks audiences to judge agents in light of their performances on particular issues" (354). This means it alerts the audience by framing a story that it may be more important. It perks the receiver's attention by priming the message. This method may impose a more significant message from the media.

The effects very rarely will change the attitudes of a particular person but it could possibly raise awareness. Like the limited effects model the mere frequency exposure of a name or platform helps to create awareness and with more repeated exposure the name because somewhat significant and recognizable. The significant effect model can be considered a more unconscious thought process. People don't deliberately interpret and pay attention because they believe a television message to be important enough to change their attitudes. This type of message model goes more coherently with a person who is situated on a particular issue in an area of non-commitment from the social Judgment theory. Messages may not bring about a strong shift in behavior but increases the awareness level of someone who has little prior knowledge to take a position on either end of the spectrum.

To compare, both have to deal with exposure effect. However with the limited effects model the more you see something the more you are to become desensitized to it. It doesn't go through your central route and you are not likely to be persuaded to a behavior change because you relied on peripheral cues because the message was not important to you to analyze it through your central route. Likewise, the significant effects model does not strive for permanent change it is simply trying to get into your peripheral path so that you will have recognition with the name, idea, or concept. Each model is substantiated in it nature.

However, it deals directly with how a person is more likely to be persuaded and for what duration of time. You notice more ad sign up right now as elections are drawing near because the more you see a name the more likely you are to vote for that familiar name, because you know that it exists. But if your are looking for a permanent, significant change than you will have to focus on the central route and construct messages that evoke analysis with your audience..