Media

Dependency
Theory
Theories of Communication

Elenita May
ARC 197
What is the Dependency Theory?
Dependency Theory is a mass communication theory that
studies long term effects of media on their audiences.
Also known as Media System
Dependency Theory or Media
Dependency Theory. It has
been firstly introduced by
Sandra Ball-Rokeach and
Melvin DeFleur in their 1976
article “A Dependency Model
or Mass-Media Effects",
Communication Research, 3, 3-
21 and was developed in their
1989 book
”Theories of Mass
Communication”.
Two communication scholars, Ball
Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur,
formulated the media systems theory
in 1976, which is based on the
sociological concepts suggesting that
the influence of mass media
should be understood in terms of the
larger social systems. In this regard,
the theory combines the
relationships between the larger
social systems, the mass media, and
the members of society. The
relationship between the mass media
and society ought to be understood
from a larger social
perspective.
The relationships between
components
1.The relationship between the
society and the media: Within this
relationship, media access and availability
are regarded as important antecedents to an
individual's experience with the media.
2.The relationship between the
media and the audience: This
relationship is the key variable in this theory
because it affects how people might use a
mass medium.
3.The relationship between the
society and the audience: The
societies influence consumers' needs and
motives for media use, and provide norms,
values, knowledge, and laws for their
members.
Media needs and media
dependency
Three types of needs
1.The need to understand
one's social world
(surveillance)
2.The need to act meaning
fully and effectively in that
world (social utility)
3.The need to escape from
that world when tensions are
high (fantasy-escape)
Two of the basic propositions put
forward by Ball-Rokeach and
DeFleur are:
(1) the greater the number of social
functions performed for an audience by
a medium (e.g., informing the
electorate, providing entertainment),
the greater the audience’s dependency
on that medium.
(2) the greater the instability of a
society (e.g., in situations of social
change and conflict), the greater the
audience’s dependency on the media
and, therefore, the greater the potential
effects of the media on the audience.
Media Dependency Effect

• Cognitive Effects - Changes in an individual's beliefs and values.

 Likely to change in times of social change or conflict
• Affective Effects - Changes in feelings about certain people,
places, or things.
 Desensitization - creation of fear and anxiety from continuous
exposure to violent media about a group or idea
• Behavioral Effect - Changes in actions an individual would take.
 Activation/Deactivation- Performing an action or not after
exposure to a media message.
 The degree of dependence is directly proportional to:

Individual: The media have ability to satisfy the audience needs. An

individual will become more dependent on media, if the medium satisfy
his/her needs. Otherwise the media dependence will become less

Social Stability: The audience reconsider their beliefs, practice and

behaviour when strong social change, conflicts, riot or election which will
force to re-evaluate and make new decisions. During this period media
dependency is dramatically increased, because there is a strong need for
information, support and advice

Active Audience: In this communication process, the active audience

chooses the media dependence on the individual needs and other factors
such as economic conditions, society and culture. If alternative source fulfil
the audience needs will decrease the media dependence.
Process of Creating Dependence:

•  Media attracts individuals by offering the content which is able to

fulfil the audience needs for understanding, entertainment and
information.
• There is much difference in the level of strength in Dependence
relationship. Cognitive motivations encourage the individuals to
maintain the level of attention and Affective motivation serves the
individuals to enhance the level of satisfaction.
•  Both Cognitive and Affective motivation are intensifying the
audience to higher level of involvement to enable the information
process.
Media Dependency Theory
The Idea that the more a person depends on having needs gratified by media
use, the more important the media’s role will be in the person’s life and, therefore,
the more influence those media will have.

Strengths
1. Is elegant and descriptive
2. Allows for systems orientation
3. Integrates microscopic and macroscopic theory
4. Explains role of media during crisis and social change

Weakness
1. Is difficult to verify empirically
2. Meaning and power of dependency are unclear
3. Lacks power in explaining long-term effects