Dependency Theory, Media

Media dependency theory makes an attempt to explain effects of mass media. Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur first outlined the framework of the theory in 1976. They conceived audience and media as integral parts of societal systems and the effects of mass media as determined by the tripartite interactions among audience, media, and the societal system. They conceptualized dependency as the central issue leading to understanding of this tripartite audience-mediasociety relationship. Dependency is a relationship in which the fulfillment of one party's needs and goals is reliant on the resources of another party.

A central piece of the theory is the relationship between audience and media. In an industrialized and information-based society, individuals tend to develop a dependency on the media to satisfy a variety of needs in their life. These needs can range from obtaining information on a candidate's policy positions to help make a vote decision to watching an episode of TV [Page 182]drama series for relaxation and entertainment. Media play a multifaceted role of information-delivery services in society: collecting, processing, and disseminating information. And, in turn, media also depend on individual members of the society as a whole for their survival and further development.

In general, the extent of media effects is related to the degree of dependence of individuals and societal systems on media. Two of the basic propositions put forward by Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur are (1) the larger a medium's capacity is to serve as a center of the unique information-delivery services to the audience, the greater the audience dependency is on that medium; and (2) the higher the instability of a society is (e.g., in situations of social change and conflict), the stronger the dependency on the media that audience members tend to develop and, therefore, the greater the potential effects of the media on audience.

Specifically, the theory predicts that there are potentially three types of media effects due to the dependency of audience on media: cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects. In addition to the effects on audience's attitudes, beliefs, and values, one of the cognitive effects is linked to the media's role in “agenda setting.” The affective effects include, for example, the development of feelings of “fear and anxiety” about living in certain neighborhoods as a result of overexposure to news reports that cover many violent stories. One example of the behavioral effects is “deactivation”—individual members of the audience don't take certain actions that they would take if they had not been exposed to certain messages from media. Not voting in political elections may be an effect of such. Any cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects on the audience can be channeled back to influence both the society and the media.

Since its inception, media dependency theory has generated many studies across disciplines. It can also serve well as a theoretical basis for research in the domain of political campaign communication, where the relationship between mass media and the electors and candidates remains a central focus.