Cognitive Dissonance In A Limited Effects Paradigm

When looking at theory that was developed from or used to research mass media and its audience, we find that the cognitive dissonance theory and the uses and gratification theory, rely on self-report methods of research. Self-prophecy has been used in research for years and is believed to be accurate. Empirical studies of self-prophecy have examined commitment, attitudes, and dissonance, to find just how accurate self-reporting is in communication studies. Consumer behaviors have been studied to find predictors of behavior or attitude change. When identifying the reason self-prophecy works, we are led to believe it is directly linked to cognitive dissonance (Spangenberg; 2003). In other words, people tend to look for ways to alleviate negative psychological states on a subconscious level.
So we look at cognitive dissonance in the limited effects paradigm. Researchers have consistently found that in fact, media had little or no effect on viewer ideology and actions. In Paul Lazarsfeld’s study of voting decisions, which was commissioned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt after he decided to run for a third presidential term, the research showed voter decision for more than 600 voters. The study was conducted in Erie County, Ohio, (Encyclopedia; 2008). Lazarsfeld and his team found that media played only a small role in the candidates voters chose. In fact, eighty-one percent of voters did not make their choice based on media influence. The limited effects theory has been widely believed since the 1950s. Several studies testing media effects have been done since and it was of particular interest in the 1960s (Baran; 1995).
Lazarsfeld through his research made two important discoveries in communication theory. First, he developed the two-step flow model, which says that most of the media’s influence is found in the original audience (Encyclopedia; 2008). He determined through his research that only through opinion leaders can media influence their audiences, and that the influence is found in the first receivers of the message. This led him to develop the limited effects theory, which says that media effect is minimal and influenced by the existence of a variety of factors (Baran; 1995).
In another study done in 1954, Lazarsfeld and two other researchers found a similar trend as in the 1940 election. In this study, they researched the effects of media on 760 voters from Elmira, New York, in the 1948 election. Respondents were questioned about the way they were leaning in the election at three points, in June, August and October. The study found that only eight percent of the respondents changed their vote due to media influence. The researchers determined that while exposure to media sources is a factor, it merely reinforces the audience members’ personal ideology (Klapper; 1960).
For the purpose of this study I will investigate if in fact audiences seek media outlets that agree with their preconceived ideology instead of developing their ideas from the media they are exposed to. One difference today from Lazarsfeld's time is the number of choices audiences now have and the amount of exposure. In Lazarsfeld’s time, media exposure was limited and in essence could have had an effect on the results. With more options media’s influence may be wider in our society, which brings us to how we use media.