Formation of Concepts of Mass Communication in the 40-60s of the Twentieth Century on the Basis of Public Opinion Research

Abstract

This article uses the empirical work of leading Western sociologists, philosophers, and psychologists to analyze the formation of mass communication theories in the 40s-60s of the twentieth century on the basis of public opinion and behavioral studies. The prime focus is on the reasons for the paradigm shift in the study of mass communication, namely, why the concept of “magic bullet theory” of the 20s and 30s was recognized as erroneous. Additionally, in this chronological period, scientists focused on the paradigm of limited effect theory. While in the political situation of the 1930s, persuasion was an effective means of mass communication influence, in the late 1940s, scientists began to look for new forms of working with the mass audience, and they were based on media effects. Between the 1940s and 1950s, the “limited effect theory” was developed to assess the impact of the media on society, which assumes that people can determine what to read or watch depending on their beliefs. Psychologists and sociologists began to study in detail the social characteristics of people, leading to a large-scale study of the effects of mass communication. At this chronological stage, the Austrian-American sociologist, founder of the Bureau of Applied Social Research at Columbia University, P. Lazarsfeld, understood that mass communication should lead society out of crisis and promote the development of democratic relations. He conducted extensive research on the impact of the media on society, in particular on voting behavior. Lazarsfeld developed the “two-step flow of communication model” theory of communication based on his findings that most of the general public did not form their opinions or decide on a course of action based on direct information, but rather relied on “opinion leaders”. The authors demonstrate how the mechanisms of media influence to manipulate audience behavior were manifested through the prism of the two-step flow of communication model (opinion leaders), cognitive dissonance theory, and attitude change. It is proved that the media had a limited influence because the population, due to the heterogeneity of society, made their choices under the influence of “opinion leaders” who controlled the mass audience and the media. The author highlights that in current conditions, selective influence does not lose its importance, because people do not have the opportunity to analyze and review all sources due to the massive amount of information. This creates new forms of manipulation and contributes to the spread of disinformation in new forms and manifestations. It is also emphasized that it was in the 40s-60s of the twentieth century that the concepts of mass communication, PR theory and practice, and the development of scientific analysis of public opinion were formed under the influence of scientific and technological progress, the increasing role and importance of the media, and the growing level of public education.