Audience theories

Cultivation Theory:
Cultivation theory is a social theory which examines the long term affects of television.
The primary idea of Cultivation Theory is that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television.
This theory was originally composed by G. Gerbner.



Hypodermic needle model:
According to the theory, the media is like a syringe which injects ideas attitudes and beliefs into the audience who as a powerless mass have little choice but to be influenced. E.G
if you watch something violent then you mat go and do something violent or you see a woman washing the pots on TV, if you are a woman you may go and do the same, if you are a man and you saw it you may expect women to wash the pots for you.

We will have to try and remove these from our thriller opening as we may influence peoples beliefs and ideas about paranormal. this may also affect our thriller because if we promote violence in anyway then the audience may become more violent as a result of witnessing violence.