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Media Effects Theories: An Overview
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Running head: MEDIA EFFECTS THEORIES: AN OVERVIEW 1
To be cited as:
Valkenburg, P.M. & Oliver, M. B. (2019). Media effects: An overview. In J. Bryant, A. Raney,
& M. B. Oliver. Media effects: Advances in Theory and Research, 4th edition (pp. 16-35) New
York: Routledge.
MEDIA EFFECTS THEORIES: AN OVERVIEW 2
Chapter 2
Media Effects Theories: An Overview1
Patti M. Valkenburg, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mary Beth Oliver, Penn State University, USA
Theories and research on the effects of media emerged under the umbrella concept “mass
communication.” The term mass communication arose during the 1920s as a result of the new
opportunities to reach audiences via the mass media (McQuail, 2010). In early mass
communication theories, the mass did not only refer to the “massness” of the audience that media
could reach, but also to homogenous media use and homogenous media effects, notions that are
increasingly challenged in the contemporary media landscape (Valkenburg, Peter, & Walther,
2016). In the past two decades, media use has become progressively individualized, and, with the
introduction of Web 2.0, decidedly more personalized. It is no surprise, therefore, that media
effects theories have undergone important adjustments in the past decades. And it is also no
surprise that the mass has turned increasingly obsolete in contemporary media effects theories
(Chaffee & Metzger, 2001).
The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the most important media effects
theories that have been coined in the past decades and to chart changes in these theories. We start
by providing a definition of a media effects theory and explaining the differences between media
effects theories and models. In the second section, we discuss the results of several bibliometric
studies that have tried to point out the most prominent media effects theories in central
communication journals, and, based on these studies we identify “evergreen” and upcoming
media effects theories. In the third section, we discuss the communalities between contemporary
media effects theories along three potential characteristics of such theories (i.e., selectivity,
transactionality, and conditionality). We end with a discussion of the future of media effects
research, with a special focus on the necessity of the merger between media effects, and
computer-mediated communication theories.
What is a Media Effects Theory?
As Potter (2011) rightly observes in his review of the media effects literature, only few
scholars have attempted to provide a formal definition of a media effect. We can add to this
observation that even fewer scholars have formulated a definition of a media effects theory.
Without such a definition, it is difficult to assess which theories qualify as media effects theories
and which do not. But to be able to document well-cited media effects theories that have been
developed over the years, we first and foremost need a definition of a media effects theory. We
define a media effects theory as a theory that attempts to explain the uses and effects of media on
individuals, groups, or societies as a whole. To be labeled a media effects theory, a theory at
least needs to conceptualize media use (or exposure to specific mediated messages or stories),
and the potential changes that this media use can bring about in individuals, groups, or societies
(i.e., the media effect). We define media use broadly as the intended or incidental use of media
channels (e.g., telephone, email), devices (e.g., smartphone, game console), content/messages
(e.g., games, narratives, advertising, news), or all types of platforms, tools, or apps (e.g.,
Facebook, Instagram, Uber). Media effects are the deliberate and non-deliberate short- and long-
term individual or collective changes in cognitions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior that result
from media use (Valkenburg et al., 2016).
Some media effects theories that fit within this definition are labeled as media effects
models, oftentimes (but not always) because they are accompanied by a pictorial model to
explain the processes or relationships between media use, media outcomes, and other relevant
concepts, such as individual differences or social-context variables (e.g., Elaboration Likelihood
Model, Petty & Cacioppo, 1986; Reinforcing Spiral Model, Slater, 2007). In other scholarly
publications, the labels theory and model are used interchangeably. For example, in the previous
edition of this book, some authors referred to the Agenda Setting Model (Tewksbury &
Scheufele, 2009, p. 21), whereas others referred to Agenda Setting Theory (McCombs &
Reynolds, 2009, p. 13). Although there are many conceptions about the differences between
theories and models within and beyond the communication discipline, these conceptions do not
seem to be helpful in distinguishing media effects theories from models. In fact, all media effects
models that will be discussed in this chapter fit within our definition of media effects theories.
Therefore, although we will use the original labels of existing models/theories (e.g., Elaboration
Likelihood Model versus Cultivation Theory), we will use these labels without distinction.
Prominent Media Effects Theories
In the past 20 years, five bibliometric studies have tried to single out the most prominent
media effects theories in scholarly communication work (Bryant & Miron, 2004; Chung, Barnett,
Kim, & Lackaff, 2013; Kamhawi & Weaver, 2003; Potter, 2012; Walter, Cody, & Ball-Rokeach,
2018). These bibliometric studies have content-analyzed a varying number of communication
journals to document, within a certain timeframe, which theories are most often cited in these
journals. For example, Bryant and Miron (2004) analyzed one issue per year from three
communication journals (Journal of Communication, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic
Media, and Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly) from 1956 to 2000, Chung et al.
(2013) analyzed all issues from four communication journals from 2000 to 2009 (Journal of
Communication, Communication Research, Human Communication Research, and

Communication Monographs), and Walter et al. (2018) analyzed all issues from one
communication journal (Journal of Communication) from 1951 to 2016.
The bibliometric studies all focused on the prevalence of mass communication theories
rather than media effects theories specifically. Although both types of theories are sometimes
used interchangeably, the focus of mass communication theories is decidedly broader than that of
media effects theories. Generally, mass communication theories do not only conceptualize the
effects of mass communication, but also its production, consumption, and distribution, as well as
the (changes in) policies surrounding mass communication. For example, Bryant and Miron’s
(2004) analysis, mass communication was defined as “any scholarship that examined processes,
effects, production, distribution, or consumption of media messages” (p. 663). In addition,
whereas mass communication theories have traditionally embraced both postpositivist and
critical or cultural approaches (Chaffee & Metzger, 2001), media effects theories are primarily
associated with postpositivist approaches. Postpositivists derive their quantitative research
methods from those developed in the physical sciences, but they do recognize that humans and
human behavior are not as constant and homogeneous as elements in the physical world (Baran
& Davis, 2010). Indeed, most chapters in this book rely on theories or discuss research that stem
from postpositivist approaches.
Some bibliometric studies did not only analyze (mass) communication theories, but all
theories, including those that originated in cognate disciplines. For example, Bryant and Miron
identified 604 theories in their analyzed journals, including theories such as Feminist Theory,
Attribution Theory, and Marxism. Likewise, Potter (2012) found 144 different theories from
within and beyond the communication discipline, including theories like the Availability
Heuristic, Cognitive Dissonance, and Self-Perception (see also Potter & Riddle, 2007; Walter et
al., 2018). According to Potter, these theories all described “some aspect of the media effects
phenomenon” (p. 69). However, although all these theories may be helpful to explain media
effects, in themselves they cannot be considered media effects theories as defined in this chapter.
As discussed, a media effects theory at least needs to conceptualize media use and the individual
or collective changes that this media use brings about.
Despite the fact that the bibliometric studies used different classifications of
communication theories and analyzed different communication journals, together they provide
an indispensable picture of the use and development of media effects theories in the past
decades. Because media effects theories did play such a dominant role in all bibliometric studies
(Chung et al., 2013), we were able to reanalyze the results of these studies with an exclusive
focus on the media effects theories that they identified. For example, of the 144 theories that
Potter (2012) identified, about one fifth qualify as media effects theories according to our
definition.
Table 1 lists the media effects theories that have been identified as most prevalent in the
bibliometric studies. In ranking these theories, we opted to include the 1956-2000 period
reported by Bryant and Miron (2004) and the most recent years (2010-2016) from Walter et al.’s
(2018) study so as to provide a picture of changes and trends within the discipline. However, in
listing these theories, it is important to note that the ranking of the theories should be understood
in general terms rather than as necessarily representing stark or significant differences. First,
some of the theories listed were “tied” in terms of their frequencies. For example, in Bryant and
Miron’s (2004) analysis, Agenda Setting and Uses and Gratification had 61 citations each, and
Medium Dependency and Linear Theory had 16 citations each; in Kahbavi and Weaver’s (2003)
analysis, Priming and Knowledge Gap Theory were mentioned in fewer than 1.5% of the articles
sampled. Second, even when theories differed in terms of their prevalence, some of these
differences are so small as to warrant caution in their interpretation. For example, in Chung et
al.’s (2013) analysis, Cultivation Theory was associated with 68 mentions, and Agenda Setting
was associated with 65 mentions. Finally, in some analyses, different theories were sometimes
grouped together with similar theories in a common category, thereby increasing their
prominence in the rankings. For example, in Walter et al.’s (2018) study, the “narrative theory”
was employed to refer to articles that employed theories or concepts such as transportation,
entertainment education, and character identification.
Insert Table 1 About Here
Evergreen Media Effects Theories
As Table 1 reveals, six media effects theories have held up fairly well over the past
decades, and so they can rightly be named “evergreen theories.” These theories showed up as
top-cited theories in both the earliest bibliometric study (time frame 1956-2000; Bryant & Miron,
2004), and in two to four bibliometric studies that covered subsequent periods: Cultivation
Theory (Gerbner, 1969), Agenda Setting Theory (McCombs & Shaw, 1972), Diffusion of
Innovations Theory (Rogers, 1962), Uses and Gratifications Theory (Katz, Blumler, &
Gurevitch, 1973; Rosengren, 1974), Social Learning/Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1977,
1986), and Media System Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976).
Other theories that were identified as well-cited theories in the bibliometric studies are
Two-Step Flow Theory (Lazarsfeld, Berelson, & Gaudet, 1948), Knowledge Gap Theory
(Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien, 1970), Spiral of Silence Theory (Noelle-Neumann, 1974),
Priming Theory (Berkowitz, 1984), Third Person Effects (Davison, 1983), the Elaboration
Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986), Framing Theory (Entman, 1993), and the Limited
Capacity Model (Lang, 2000). Table 2 gives a short description of the well-cited media effects
theories identified in the bibliometric studies, listed according to the dates in which they were
originally coined.
Insert Table 2 About Here
Over-Time Changes in the Prominence of Theories
When comparing the results of the five bibliometric studies summarized in Table 1, some
theories appear to have lost their appeal over the years. One such theory is Lasswell’s (1948)
Model of Communication that was listed as one of the top-cited theories in Bryant and Miron’s
(2004) analysis, but lost that status in the more recent bibliometric studies. The same holds for
other classic, linear media effects models, such as Shannon and Weaver’s (1949) Mathematical
Model of Communication. Another theory that was present in Bryant and Miron, but which lost
its influence after the 1970s is McLuhan’s medium (or sense-extension) theory (McLuhan,
1964). By means of his aphorism, “the medium is the message,” McLuhan theorized that media
exert their influence primarily by their modalities (e.g., text, aural, audiovisual) and not so much
by the content they deliver. His theory probably lost its appeal among media effects researchers
because research inspired by his theory often failed to produce convincing results (Clark, 2012;
Valkenburg et al., 2016). Although no one can deny that modality is an essential feature of media
and technologies (Sundar & Limperos, 2013), media effects are often a result of a combination
of features, among which content plays a prominent role. It is probably no surprise that “Content
is King” is still one of the more popular adages in modern marketing.
Another over-time change suggested by the bibliometric studies is the “cognitive turn” in
media effects theories coined in the 1980s and 1990s. This increased attention to internal
cognitive processes of media users is at least in part a result of the cognitive revolution in
psychology that started in the 1950s in reaction to behaviorism (Gardner, 1985). Behaviorism (or
stimulus-response theory) is a learning theory that argues that all human behaviors are
involuntary responses to rewarding and punishing stimuli in the environment. What happens in
the mind during exposure to these stimuli is a “black box” and is irrelevant to study.
In the 1980s and 1990s, several media effects theories have tried to open the black box
between media use and media outcomes (e.g., Priming Theory, Berkowitz, 1984; Limited
Capacity Model, Lang, Dhillon, & Dong, 1995; Elaboration Likelihood Model, Petty &
Cacioppo, 1986). At the time, scholars started to acknowledge that in order to validly assess
whether (or not) media can influence individuals, they need to know why and how this happens.
This new generation of theories acknowledged that media effects are indirect (rather than direct).
More specifically, they argued that the cognitive mental states of the viewer act as a mediating
(or intervening) variable between media use and media outcomes. Indeed, these new theories
recognized that the mental states of the media user play a crucial role in explaining media
effects.
In the same period, some classic media effects theories were adjusted to better
acknowledge cognitions in the media effects process, sometimes by the author him or herself and
sometimes by others. For example, in Bryant and Miron’s bibliometric study, Bandura’s theory
was still named Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977). This early version of his theory had its
roots in behaviorism, which is evident, for example, from its unconditional emphasis on
rewarding and punishing stimuli to realize behavioral change. In the 1980s, Bandura modified
his theory and renamed it Social Cognitive Theory to better describe how internal cognitive
processes can increase or decrease learning (Bandura, 1986). In addition, although Cultivation
Theory is an all-time favorite and its name is still current, over the past few decades researchers
have proposed numerous adaptations to the theory to better understand how, why, and when
cultivation effects occur. For example, Shrum (1995) has argued for the integration of
Cultivation Theory in a cognitive information processing framework. According to Potter
(2014), the adaptations of Cultivation Theory are so numerous and extensive that its original set
of propositions may have gotten glossed over. Indeed, there appears to be only minimal overlap
between the macro-level, sociological Cultivation Theory that Gerbner (1969) proposed and the
more recent micro-level, psychological interpretations of the same theory (Ewoldsen, 2017;
Potter, 2014).
Upcoming Media Effects Theories
Although highly informative, together the five bibliometric studies either do not (Bryant
& Miron, 2004; Kamhawi & Weaver, 2003; Potter, 2012) or only partly cover the past decade of
media effects research (Chung et al., 2013; Walter et al., 2018). The most recent study by Walter
et al. (2018) does cover publications that appeared up to 2016. But due to their study’s broader
scope, they only focused on research papers and omitted theoretical papers from their analysis,
whereas these latter papers typically are the ones in which new media effects theories are coined.
Given the rapid changes in media technologies in the past decade, it is highly relevant to
investigate whether this recent period has witnessed an upsurge in novel or adjusted media
effects theories. After all, as media technologies change, “new theories may be needed with
which to understand the communication dynamics that these technologies involve” (Walther,
Van Der Heide, Hamel, & Shulman, 2009, p. 230).
To identify upcoming media effects theories, we conducted an additional bibliometric
analysis, in which we included the same 14 communication journals as the most extensive earlier
analysis did (Potter, 2012; see Potter & Riddle, 2007). To capture theories and research that are
particularly relevant to newer communication technologies, we included an additional
communication journal: Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. To identify highly cited
articles in these 15 journals, we used the “highly cited paper” option provided by the citation
indexing service Web of Science (WoS). Highly cited papers in WoS reflect articles in the last
ten years that were ranked in the top 1% within the same field of research (e.g., communication)
and published in the same year (Clarivate Analytics, 2017). An advantage of this analysis is that,
within the designated ten-year period, older and recent papers are treated equally. Whereas in
regular citation analyses older papers typically outperform more recent ones, the algorithm of
WoS controls for this “seniority bias.”
Our analysis yielded 93 highly cited papers in these 15 journals.2 Of these papers, about
half involved media effects papers, which underscores the relevance of media effects research in
the communication discipline. Most of these effects papers were empirical papers that used one
or more existing theories to guide their research. However, a small percentage (about 10%) either
introduced a new media effects theory or extended one or more existing theories. Some of these
theoretical papers focused on media use in general (e.g., Reinforcing Spiral Model, Slater, 2007;
Differential Susceptibility Model of Media Effects, Valkenburg & Peter, 2013). Others dealt
with specific types of media use, such as exposure to news (e.g., Framing Theory, Entman, 2007;
Communication Mediation Model, Shah et al., 2017), persuasive messages (e.g., Model of
Psychological Reactance to Persuasive Messages, Rains, 2013), or communication technology
(Extensions of Spiral of Silence Theory and Two Step Flow Theory, Neubaum & Krämer, 2017;
Uses & Gratifications Theory 2.0.; Sundar & Limperos, 2013).
A first noticeable trend revealed by the highly cited media effects papers is the
emergence of theories that attempt to explain the uses and effects of media entertainment (for a
similar observation, see Walter et al., 2018; Table 1). Some of these theories try to better
understand this type of media use by focusing on cognitive and emotional processing. They try to
explain, for example, why and how exposure to narrative entertainment leads to less resistance
than traditional persuasive messages (The Entertainment Overcoming Resistance Model; Moyer-
Gusé, 2008; Moyer-Gusé & Nabi, 2010). Other theories have tried to better understand the
concept of enjoyment in response to media entertainment (Tamborini, Bowman, Eden, Grizzard,
& Organ, 2010), or the “eudaimonic gratifications” (i.e., media-related experiences associated
with contemplation and meaningfulness) that people experience in response to though-provoking
and poignant entertainment (Oliver & Bartsch, 2010; Oliver & Raney, 2011).
Another trend that can be inferred from the highly cited media effect studies is that the
traditional gap between media effects and CMC (Computer-Mediated-Communication) studies
seems to have narrowed somewhat in the past years. Traditionally, “media effects research” and
“CMC research” were part of two separate subdisciplines of communication science that
developed in separation and rarely interacted with each other. Media effects research was part of
mass communication subdiscipline, whereas CMC research belonged to the interpersonal
communication subdiscipline. Over time, many authors have argued for bridging the gap
between these two subdisciplines, oftentimes without much success (for a review see Walther &
Valkenburg, 2017).
However, the significant changes in media use in the past decade seemingly have been an
important impetus for the merger between media effects and CMC theories. After all, whereas
previously “media use” referred only to a handful of mass media such as newspapers, radio, film,
and television, the current definition of media use, including the one in this chapter, also includes
an array of media technologies that stimulate give-and-take interactions of individuals or groups

with technologies (e.g., games) or other individuals (e.g., social media), and that traditionally
belonged to “the realm” of CMC theories and research. It is no surprise, therefore, that the
current fourth edition of this book includes a chapter by Joseph Walter entitled: Computer
Mediated Communication.
In fact, several CMC studies in our collection of highly cited papers did investigate
“media effects” that fall within our definition of such effects. For example, Walther, Van der
Heide, Kim, Westerman, and Tong (2008) found that CMC users’ perceptions of an individual’s
online profile are affected by the posts of friends who may have posted on the profile. We
consider such a scenario as an example of a media effect. Namely, people (i.e., the receivers)
look at online profiles (i.e., media use), and the messages or posts that they see (i.e., the
messages) affect their perceptions (i.e., the media effect). Similarly, Tong, Van Der Heide,
Langwell, and Walther (2008) investigated how exposure to the number of friends listed on
online profiles (i.e., media use) influenced observers’ perceptions of the these profiles (i.e., the
media effect). Their study showed that this system-produced information significantly influenced
the cognitions and attitudes of the receivers of these messages.
Core Features of Contemporary Media Effects Theories
The previous section revealed several changes in media effects theories over the past
decades, such as the cognitive turn in these theories as of the 1980s and 1990s, the emphasis on
media entertainment and emotional media processing, and the gradual integration of media
effects and CMC research. Generally, the more recent theories appear to be more comprehensive
than the earlier ones. For example, they more often recognize the interaction between media
factors (media use, media processing) and non-media factors (e.g., dispositional, situational, and
social context factors), and they better acknowledge that media effects are indirect rather than
direct. In the next sections we discuss how contemporary media effects theories differ from the
earlier ones. We focus on three related core features of these theories: selectivity,
transactionality, and conditionality.
The Selectivity Paradigm
Selectivity is one of the oldest paradigms in communication. Already in the 1940s,
Lazarsfeld et al. (1948) discovered that individuals predominantly select media messages that
serve their needs, goals, and beliefs. These early ideas have been further conceptualized into two
theories: the Uses-and-Gratifications (Katz et al., 1973; Rosengren, 1974) and Selective
Exposure Theory (Knobloch-Westerwick, 2014). Both theories are generally based on three
propositions: (1) individuals only attend to a limited number of messages out of the miscellany
of messages that can potentially attract their attention, (2) media use is a result of dispositional
(e.g., needs, personality), situational (e.g., mood), or social-context factors (e.g., the norms that
prevail in the social environment), and (3) only those messages they select have the potential to
influence them (Klapper, 1960). This influence of media use is named “obtained gratifications”
in Uses-Gratifications-Theory and “media effects” in Selective Exposure Theory.
Early empirical research guided by Uses and Gratifications and Selective Exposure
Theory usually investigated only the first part of the media effects process. This research
typically conceptualized media use as the outcome, whereas the consequences or “effects” of this
media use were typically ignored. Therefore, these early theories do not fit within our definition
of media effects theories. In the past decade, however, the selectivity paradigm has progressively
become an integrated part of media effects theories, including the Reinforcing Spiral Model
(Slater, 2007); the SESAM model (Knobloch-Westerwick, 2014; see chapter 10) and the
Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model (Valkenburg & Peter, 2013). Indeed, in
Walter et al.’s (2018) bibliometric analysis, selective exposure appeared as a top theory only in
the last time frame examined (2000 – 2016). Contemporary selective exposure theories
conceptualize that media users, rather than the media, are the center points in a process that may
bring about media effects. This insight has important implications for media effects research. It
means, for example, that individuals, by shaping their own selective media use, also (deliberately
or not) partly shape their own media effects (Valkenburg et al., 2016).
The selectivity paradigm is also part and parcel in CMC theories and research. For
example, Walther, Tong, DeAndrea, Carr, and Van Der Heide (2011, p. 187) argue that the
specific goal(s) that prompt an individual’s media consumption “shape attention to variations in
the content and features of the topical information one consumes, affecting its interpretation and
recall.” However, although selectivity is clearly an important feature of CMC, it is still unknown
whether CMC users are more (or less) able to contribute to their own media effects than users of
more traditional media are. On the one hand, CMC users have more agency in their media
selection than they had with traditional media. They can, for example, openly comment on
incoming messages, thereby publicly discounting this information. They can also more easily
avoid incongruent or conflicting messages, and, due to technological algorithms that use their
preferences or search terms, co-create their own “filter bubbles” (Pariser, 2011). Due to this
increased agency and selectivity, CMC users may thus have more opportunity than traditional
media users to shape their own media effects.
On the other hand, the blending of mass (e.g., a television program) and interpersonal
messages (e.g., viewer comments on Twitter about this television program) in CMC
environments could also stimulate a type of gratifications (or effects) that have been named
“process gratifications” (Stafford, Stafford, & Schkade, 2004). Unlike content gratifications,
process gratifications (or effects) are not so much driven by preexisting needs, goals, or beliefs
of the media user, but they develop while using media. For example, individuals may start
surfing the web with specific a priori needs, beliefs, or goals, but while interacting with
technologies or other people they may develop different and unforeseen needs, goals, and beliefs,
which in turn may lead to different and unforeseen media gratifications (or effects). Therefore, in
contemporary media effects theories, media effects can best be understood as the result of an
interaction between need-driven media use and situational, process-based media use (for a
further discussion, see Sundar & Limperos, 2013).
The Transactionality Paradigm
In the early days of the communication discipline, most mass media effects theories were
linear, one-directional models of communication that pointed from senders (mass media) to
receivers). Examples of linear media effects theories are Cultivation Theory (Gerbner, 1969),
Lasswell’s (1948) Communication Model, and McLuhan’s (1964) Medium Theory (see the first
column of Table 1). Unlike one-directional media effects theories, transactional theories
conceptualize media use and media outcomes as reciprocally related. Like Uses and
Gratifications and Selective Exposure Theory, transactional media effects models embrace a
user-oriented approach (e.g., Wang & Tchernev, 2012). They argue that (1) certain dispositions
of media users (e.g., needs, goals, beliefs) can cause their selective media use, (2) which can, in
turn, cause certain outcomes (i.e., the media effect), (3) which can, then, further cause selective
media use. For example, adolescents’ aggressiveness may stimulate their use of violent media,
which, in turn, may increase their aggressiveness, which may then further stimulate their violent
media use (Slater, Henry, Swaim, & Anderson, 2003).

Transactional media effects theories are relatively recent in the communication
discipline. The first transactional media effects model appeared in the early 1980s in Germany
(Früh & Schönbach, 1982), but that model probably suffered from the rule of the restrictive head
start. Transactional models are difficult to investigate and, at the time, both the expertise and the
methods to empirically test such complex models were not widely available yet. Subsequent
transactional media effects models are Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Model, Anderson and
Bushman’s (2002) General Aggression Model, and Slater’s (2007) Reinforcing Spiral Model.
Although transactionality is relatively new to media effects theories, it has always been a
core paradigm of interpersonal communication theories, which, par excellence, attempt to
explain the reciprocal influences from interaction partners on one another. However,
interpersonal communication has been increasingly mediated through CMC devices. Moreover,
in newer media environments, many traditionally one-directional mass communication
processes, such as news and entertainment consumption, have become transactional: Message
producers and consumers can now exert reciprocal influences on one another and can easily
switch their roles from consumers to producers and vice versa. These transactional processes
necessitate alterations to existing media effects theories. Such alterations have already been
suggested, for example, for Agenda Setting Theory (Lee & Tandoc, 2017), Spiral of Silence
Theory (Neubaum & Krämer, 2017), Communication Mediation Theory (Shah et al., 2017),
Diffusion of Innovations Theory (Rice, 2017), and Entertainment Theory (Raney & Ji, 2017).
The Conditionality Paradigm
Like the transactionality paradigm, the conditionality paradigm elaborates on the Uses
and Gratifications and Selective Exposure Theories. It postulates that media effects do not
equally hold for all media users, and that media effects can be contingent on dispositional,
situational, and social-context factors. Remarkably, already in the 1930s, the first large-scale
empirical studies into the effects of media on children and young adults, the Payne Fund Studies,
concluded: "That the movies exert an influence there can be no doubt. But it is our opinion that
this influence is specific for a given child and a given movie. The same picture may influence
different children in distinctly opposite directions. Thus in a general survey such as we have
made, the net effect appears small” (Charters, 1933, p. 16).
However, despite these early empirical findings, many subsequent media effects theorists
have been rather slow in acknowledging conditional media effects. Particularly early theories
aimed to establish linear, across-the board effects of mass media. For example, although
Gerbner’s (1969) Cultivation Theory did recognize that individuals differ in their interpretation
of messages, it did not conceptualize such differences, but instead focused on the macro-level
effects of mass-mediated message systems on the public (Potter, 2014). And even today, there
seems to be a tendency to ignore individual differences in susceptibility to media effects. As
Neuman (2018) recently observed: “Perhaps our paradigm would be strengthened if we
recognized that media effects are neither characteristically strong nor are they characteristically
minimal: they are characteristically highly variable” (Neuman, 2018, p. 370; See also Rains,
Levine, & Weber, 2018).
However, despite Neuman’s (2018) recent criticism, in fact, most contemporary media
effects theories do recognize conditional media effects, including the Reinforcing Spiral Model
(Slater, 2007), Communication Mediation Model (Shah et al., 2007; Shah et al., 2017), and
Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo 1986). Most of these theories have proposed
that conditional media effects are not only due to selective exposure, but also to selective
processing. For example, Valkenburg and Peter (2013) argue that dispositional, situational, and
social context factors may have a double role in the media effects process: They not only predict
selective exposure, but they can also influence the way in which media content is cognitively and
emotionally processed. Individuals have the tendency, at least to a certain extent, to seek out
content that does not deviate too much from their needs, goals, and beliefs (Knobloch-
Westerwick, 2014). It is conceivable that the same factors that predict selective exposure can
also influence the way in which media content is processed. It has been shown that people’s
opinions on a given issue influence how they respond to media messages and characters. For
example, in their now classic study about the American series All in the Family, Vidmar and
Rokeach (1974) found that high prejudiced viewers tended to be more sympathetic to Archie, the
bigoted main character, whereas low-prejudiced individuals tended to be more sympathetic to
Mike, the politically liberal main character of the series.
Unfortunately, although in the past decades there has been ample research on selective
exposure and selective recall, there has been relatively less attention to selective reception
processes (Hart et al., 2009). Moreover, the scarce research that did focus on selective reception
has mainly focused on individual differences in cognitive processing of media content and less
on emotional processing. However, as our analysis of recent highly cited communication papers
suggests, two decades after the cognitive turn in media effects theories, an emotional turn in
these theories seems to have unfolded. Indeed, contemporary media effects theories increasingly
recognize that emotional processes, such as identification with characters or emotional
involvement in the narrative, are important routes to media effects (Moyer-Gusé & Nabi, 2010;
Nabi, 2009; Slater & Rouner, 2002).
Discussion
Together, the five bibliometric studies that we attempted to integrate in this chapter and
our highly-cited paper analysis suggest that the use of theory in communication papers has
increased significantly across time. For example, whereas Bryant and Miron (2014), who
reported on the period from 1956 to 2000, found that only 26% of articles provided a theoretical
framework, Potter and Riddle (2007), who reported on the period from 1993 to 2005, found that
35% of articles featured a theory prominently. Finally, Walter et al. (2018) observed that
whereas in the 1950s, only 9% of all empirical papers that appeared in Journal of
Communication featured a theory prominently, this percentage increased towards 65% in the
2010s.
Although it is promising that the development of theory in communication journals has
quantitatively increased over the years, it is even more important to establish whether it has
improved in a qualitative sense. Some of the bibliometric studies are pessimistic about this
qualitative development. For example, Walter et al. (2018) observed a “remarkable slowdown in
new theory development.” (p.424), and “a general increase in theory use, yet a decrease in theory
development.” (p. 435). It must be noted, though, that Walter et al.’s analysis did not include
theoretical articles and literature reviews in their bibliometric analysis, which together comprised
11% of their sample of papers. Their conclusions about the state of the field would undoubtedly
have been more positive if they had included theoretical papers in their sample.
Walter et al. (2018) based their conclusion on the fact that a number of theories, such as
Cultivation Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Agenda Setting Theory, which we dubbed as
evergreen theories, remained prominent in every decade after the 1970s. Several other authors
have also observed that some theories are used over and over again until the present day
(Ewoldsen, 2017; Katz & Fialkoff, 2017; Potter, 2014). One explanation for this phenomenon
may be that these theories have managed to become part of the shared identity of media effects
researchers, who, by referring to or adjusting these theories in their work, are able to
communicate this identity. Another explanation may be the high “tolerance” of evergreen
theories for multiple interpretations of their claims. Social Cognitive Theory, for example, is a
comprehensive theory with broad concepts that are related to one another in complex ways. An
unforeseen consequence of such theories is that they allow researchers to freely interpret or
select parts of the theory to justify or explain their results.
Some authors fear that the recurrent referral to these theories distorts what the theory
originally proposed (Potter, 2014) or hides the progress that has been made in the understanding
of media effects theories (Ewoldsen, 2017). Others have proposed the “retirement” of these old
theories and replace them with newer ones that better explain contemporary media use and
effects (Katz & Fialkoff, 2017). Indeed, we agree that it is important for the progress of the
media effects field to develop new theories with new names rather than to selectively using
claims of old theories to justify or explain expected or unexpected results. After all, true
theoretical progress can only occur if certain claims of theories that do not hold are formally
falsified. Despite the concerns of some authors about the progress in the media effects field, our
analysis of recent highly cited communication papers suggests a somewhat more optimistic view.
We found that about 10% of the highly cited papers in 15 communication journals published
between 2007 and 2017 either introduced a new theory or significantly extended an existing one.
These extensions of old theories, such as Spiral of Silence and Diffusion of Innovations, were
partly due to the rapid changes in the new media landscape, which demands a rethinking of
theories that originated in periods when the relation between media and audiences was
predominantly anonymous and one-directional. In this chapter we summarized several important

theoretical trends over the past decade. One such trend is the development of theories that
attempt to understand the effects of (narrative) media entertainment and the role of emotional
processing in these effects. Another trend is that theories that were coined or extended in the past
decade increasingly recognize the selectivity, conditionality, and transactionality of media
effects. Finally, despite concerns about the lack of integration between mass and interpersonal
communication, we did observe an increased tendency to merge media effects, interpersonal, and
CMC theories in papers that investigate the uses and effects of messages communication via the
internet and social media.
Challenges and Opportunities for Future Media Effects Research
We are encouraged by the development of media effects theories revealed in our analysis,
and we look forward to the new theory development that will undoubtedly evolve in our
changing media landscape, where most technologies are simultaneously rapidly new and rapidly
old. Both the proliferation of new media technologies and the possibilities to instantaneously
interact with other media users pose important challenges and opportunities for future
researchers.
Conceptualizing "media use 2.0." First, we anticipate that newer theory development
must confront how best to conceptualize what constitutes “media use.” Whereas foundational
theories often used sweeping measures such as hours-a-day spent with television (e.g., Gerbner,
1969), newer theories need to account for a seemingly endless array of media platforms, even
when focusing on a single “type” of media such as social networking sites. Moreover, given the
mobility and multiplicity of media channels, the prevalence of media multitasking has reached
new heights, and particularly among younger individuals (Voorveld & van der Goot, 2013).
Consequently, watching a favorite television program may now also simultaneously involve
chatting with other viewers on fan sites, posting one’s reactions to the program on social media,
or searching online for information about the actors.
Finally, evolving technologies facilitate media “use” well beyond the time boundaries of
any single instance of media consumption. For example, although an individual may watch a
given television program for a span of and hour, she may continue to “watch” the show for much
longer by engaging with other viewers about the show, by watching replays and commentaries
about the show on YouTube, or even expressing her thoughts about the program through self-
generated media content such as mashups or fan fiction (Shade, Kornfield, & Oliver, 2015).
These examples are but a handful of the many ways that media use is changing, thereby
highlighting the need to revise or develop new ways to conceptualize and measure how
individuals now "use" media content and technology.
New methods to assess cognitive and emotional media processing. Related to the need
to re-assess how to measure media use, media effects theories may stand to benefit from the
evolving use of newer means of assessing individuals’ emotional and cognitive processing of
messages and resultant changes in beliefs, attitudes, affective states, and behaviors. Whereas
traditional scholarship has typically relied on self-reports for studying media effects, many
researchers are now turning to alternative techniques. For example, an increasing number of
scholars are now examining the neural patterns associated with media use, pointing out its
relevance in a host of areas including persuasion, stereotyping, health, and social interaction (see,
for example, Falk & Scholz, 2018; Weber, Eden, Huskey, Mangus, & Falk, 2015). Likewise,
devices such as face readers and eye trackers are currently providing ample opportunity to assess
changes in emotional responses to media messages and devices (e.g., Jennett et al., 2008;
McDuff, Kaliouby, & Picard, 2012; Russell, Russell, Morales, & Lehu, 2017). Such
measurement holds the promise of helping us develop theories about changes in emotions that
occur during media use, and what such changes imply for resultant media outcomes (Nabi &
Green, 2014). Further, the opportunity to scrape and analyze big data and networks of
information sharing will open many new avenues for media effects theorizing. Although
numerous theoretical perspectives have acknowledged the sharing of media messages among
individuals (e.g., Two-Step Flow Model; Diffusion of Innovations), network analysis of online
communities represents ample opportunities to develop new or adjust existing communication
theories.
The effects of "mass self-communication." Finally, we eagerly anticipate the growth of
media theory that grapples the implications of the shift from mass communication to what
O’Sullivan (2005) has named “masspersonal” and Castells (2007) “mass self-communication.”
In traditional mass media effects theories, the influence process is unidirectional, from one
generator of messages to recipients. Mass self-communication theories provide an extension to
these theories, in that they do not only focus on the effects of messages on recipients but also on
the effects of those messages on the generator him or herself. The effects of self-generated and
self-modified media messages on the message generators themselves have garnered increasing
interest among scholars with the emergence of interactive technologies. For example, research on
the Proteus Effect demonstrates that people often adopt the characteristics of the avatars that they
use to present themselves online (Yee & Bailenson, 2007). Likewise, research on customization
of websites and user-interfaces shows that when individuals have the opportunity to select their
own digitized environments (e.g., interests, colors, banners, etc.), they tend to feel greater
affiliation for the environments and heightened perceptions of relevance and interactivity (e.g.,
Kalyanaraman & Sundar, 2006).

Most recently, Valkenburg (2017) coined the phrase “self-effects” to refer broadly to the
effects of messages on the cognitions, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors of the message
generators themselves. She argued that in the context of social media, expressing an attitude,
stating one’s opinion, or even selecting an avatar with a particular appearance may not only
influence the cognitions, beliefs, and attitudes of message recipients, but also those of the
message generators. Further, as discussed, given individuals’ tendencies select media content
that is congruent with their cognitions, beliefs, and attitudes, it is likely that messages which are
self-generated and originate from its generator’s own beliefs may have an even stronger effect on
the message generators themselves than on their message recipients. There is an apparent need
for future communication research that investigates and compares the effects and effectiveness of
messages on both recipients and message generators themselves.
Conclusion
In sum, our review of media effects theories leads us to end on an optimistic note.
Whereas some reviews may suggest that our scholarship is somewhat slow to evolve, our review
of media effects theories is heartening. Some theories have remained evergreen – and likely for
good reason. Although some of these evergreen theories were developed in what may seem like a
long-ago past, their fundamental assumptions about media and human psychology are likely
applicable across a wide acreage of media landscapes. At the same time, newer theories,
concepts, and foci are populating our scholarship, reflecting a greater nuance of human
experience and of its intersection with communication technologies. Undoubtedly, media effects
as a focus of study is at the center of public discourse about interpersonal interaction, political
exchange, and even the striving for well-being. We await the insights that will certainly arise
from scholars who work toward our understanding of media in the emotional, cognitive, and
behavioral lives of its consumers and creators.

Author Notes
1
Some parts of this chapter are based on Valkenburg, Peter, and Walther (2016). This mostly
holds for the section about the three core features of media effects theories, and Table 2, which
an extension and update of a Table that appeared in Valkenburg et al.

2
The list of highly cited articles in these journals can be obtained from Patti Valkenburg,
p.m.valkenburg@uva.nl. Two out of the 14 journals that Potter (2012) analyzed (Quarterly
Journal of Speech and Mass communication Review) are not indexed in WoS; As a result, no
highly cited papers from these journals could be included in our analysis.
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Table 1
Prominent Media Effect Theories Listed in Five Bibliometric Studies to Document Communication theories
Study Bryant & Miron Kamhavi & Weaver Potter (2012) Chung et al (2013) Walter et al. (2018)
(2004) (2003)
Period 1956-2000 1980-1999 1993-2005 2000-2009 2010-2016

# journals 3 comm. journals 10 comm. journals 13 comm. journals; 4 comm. journals 1 comm. journal
three other journals
# articles 1,806 889 8,855 1,156 294
Top 1. Agenda Setting 1. Information Processing 1. Cultivation Theory 1. Framing Theory 1. Framing Theory
theories (tied) Models (e.g., Limited
Capacity Model)
1. Uses and 2. Uses and Gratifications 2. Third Person Effect 2. Priming Theory 2. (Narrative) Entertainment
Gratifications (tied) Theories
2. Cultivation Theory 3. Cultivation Theory 3. Agenda Setting 3. Cultivation Theory 3. Agenda Setting Theory
3. Social Learning 4. Agenda Setting 4. Uses and 4. Agenda Setting 4. Selective Exposure Theory
Theory Gratifications
4. Diffusion of 5. Diffusion of 5. Priming Theory 5. Elaboration Likelihood 5. Dual Processing Models
Innovations Theory Innovations Theory Model (ELM) (e.g., ELM)
5. McLuhan’s 6. Framing Theory 6. Limited Capacity 6. Third Person Effect 6. Priming Theory
Medium Theory Model
6. Medium 7. Medium Dependency 7. Framing Theory 7. Social Cognitive Theory 7. Uses and Gratifications
Dependency (tied) Theory
6. Linear Theory 8. Priming Theory (tied) 8. Social Cognitive 8. Diffusions of 8. Social Cognitive Theory
(tied) Theory Innovations Theory
7. Laswell’s 8. Knowledge Gap (tied) 9. Elaboration 9. Theory of Reasoned 9. Mood Management Theory /
Communication Likelihood Model Action Hostile Media Effect
Model
Table 2
Prominent Media Effects Theories and Their Google Citations2
Author(s) Theory/Model # cited Description
Lazarsfeld et al. Two-Step Flow 9,783 Argues that media effects are indirect rather than
(1948) Theory direct and established through the personal
influence of opinion leaders.
Rogers (1962) Diffusion of 94,813 Explains how, why, and at what rate new ideas and
Innovations technology spread among participants in a social
system.
Gerbner 1969/ Cultivation Theory 574/ Argues that the more time people spend 'living' in
Gerbner & Gross the television world, the more likely they are to
(1976) 2,911 believe the social reality portrayed on television.
Tichenor et al. (1970) Knowledge Gap 2,049 Discusses how mass media can increase the gap in
Theory knowledge between those of higher and lower
socioeconomic status.
McCombs and Shaw Agenda Setting 10,181 Describes how news media can influence the
(1972) Theory salience of topics on the public agenda.
Katz et al. (1973)/ Uses-and- 2,277/ Attempts to understand why and how people
Rosengren (1974) Gratifications Theory 719 actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific
needs.
Noelle-Neuman Spiral of Silence 1,696 Discusses people’s tendency to remain silent when
(1974) Theory their views differ from the majority view. Media
contribute to the development of majority views.
Ball-Rokeach & Media System 1,173 Argues that the more a person depends on media to
DeFleur (1976) Dependency Theory meet needs, the more important media will be in a
person's life, and the more effects media will have.
Bandura (1977, Social Learning/ 47,049/ Analyzes the mechanisms through which symbolic
2009) Social Cognitive communication through mass media influences
Theory 3,878 human thought, affect, and behavior.
Berkowitz (1984) Priming Theory 875 Argues that media can activate cognitions and
related affect/behaviors storied in human memory.
Davison (1985) Third Person Effect 1,875 Predicts that people tend to believe that media
messages have a greater effect on others than on
themselves.
Petty and Cacioppo Elaboration Likelihood 9,089 Explains how mediated stimuli are processed (via
(1986) Model either the central or peripheral route), and how this
processing influences attitude formation or change.
Entman (1993); Framing; 11,965/ Discusses how the media draw attention to certain
Scheufele (1999) Framing as a Theory topics and place them within a field of meaning
of Media Effects 3,816 (i.e., frame), which in turn influences audience
perceptions.
Lang et al., 1995; Limited Capacity 279/ Analyses how people’s limited capacity for
Lang, 2000 Model 1,522 information processing affects their memory of,
and engagement with, mediated messages.
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Media Effects Theories: An Overview

Chapter · October 2020

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Media Effects Theories: An Overview1

Patti M. Valkenburg, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Mary Beth Oliver, Penn State University, USA

(Chaffee & Metzger, 2001).

computer-mediated communication theories.

What is a Media Effects Theory?

individuals, groups, or societies as a whole. To be labeled a media effects theory, a theory at

from media use (Valkenburg et al., 2016).

concepts, such as individual differences or social-context variables (e.g., Elaboration Likelihood

Prominent Media Effects Theories

2018). These bibliometric studies have content-analyzed a varying number of communication

communication journals (Journal of Communication, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic

Communication, Communication Research, Human Communication Research, and

communication journal (Journal of Communication) from 1951 to 2016.

effects, production, distribution, or consumption of media messages” (p. 663). In addition,

associated with postpositivist approaches. Postpositivists derive their quantitative research

from postpositivist approaches.

or collective changes that this media use brings about.

entertainment education, and character identification.

Insert Table 1 About Here

Evergreen Media Effects Theories

Insert Table 2 About Here

Over-Time Changes in the Prominence of Theories

is King” is still one of the more popular adages in modern marketing.

Cultivation Theory in a cognitive information processing framework. According to Potter

Upcoming Media Effects Theories

Van Der Heide, Hamel, & Shulman, 2009, p. 230).

To identify upcoming media effects theories, we conducted an additional bibliometric

particularly relevant to newer communication technologies, we included an additional

communication journal: Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. To identify highly cited

WoS controls for this “seniority bias.”

Psychological Reactance to Persuasive Messages, Rains, 2013), or communication technology

Uses & Gratifications Theory 2.0.; Sundar & Limperos, 2013).

concept of enjoyment in response to media entertainment (Tamborini, Bowman, Eden, Grizzard,

with contemplation and meaningfulness) that people experience in response to though-provoking

traditional gap between media effects and CMC (Computer-Mediated-Communication) studies

mass communication subdiscipline, whereas CMC research belonged to the interpersonal

an array of media technologies that stimulate give-and-take interactions of individuals or groups

the cognitions and attitudes of the receivers of these messages.

Core Features of Contemporary Media Effects Theories

transactionality, and conditionality.

The Selectivity Paradigm

Selectivity is one of the oldest paradigms in communication. Already in the 1940s,

in Uses-Gratifications-Theory and “media effects” in Selective Exposure Theory.

media users to shape their own media effects.

further discussion, see Sundar & Limperos, 2013).

The Transactionality Paradigm

media use (Slater, Henry, Swaim, & Anderson, 2003).

Transactional media effects theories are relatively recent in the communication

core paradigm of interpersonal communication theories, which, par excellence, attempt to

in newer media environments, many traditionally one-directional mass communication

The Conditionality Paradigm

made, the net effect appears small” (Charters, 1933, p. 16).

seems to be a tendency to ignore individual differences in susceptibility to media effects. As