Carmen Neghina & Alina Oprea Overview of the Knowledge Gap theory, developed by Tichenor. Analysis, criticism and recommendations

1. The DGE KNOWLE GA P

2. „Knowledge is power“ 2

3. Content Mass Media‘s Role Knowledge Gap Theory Refinement of the hypothesis

4. Mass Media‘s Role

5. Timeline Mass Media‘s Role Vallone Tichenor Dervin Lovrich & Pierce Gaziano Cook Rogers 1984 1970 1975 1977 1982 1996 Brantgarde Parker Ettema & Kline McLeod Donohue

6. Timeline Mass Media‘s Role Vallone Tichenor Dervin Lovrich & Pierce Gaziano Cook Rogers 1984 1970 1975 1977 1982 1996 Brantgärde Parker Ettema & Kline McLeod Donohue

7. Hierarchy of Knowledge Mass Media‘s Role Wisdom Knowledge Information Data

8. Sesame Street Mass Media‘s Role Profile: educational TV programming Target group: disadvantaged inner city kids Goal: bring all kids up to a basic level to prepare them for school Method: combining information and entertainment Researcher: Thomas Cook – 1975 Findings: the gap still existed between kids with a higher level of education compared to kids with less Exception: heavy viewers were able to narrow the gap

10. more oriented towards the more educated and more powerful groups in society

11. systematically project definitions of issues which are conducive to the interest of established power groups

13. In the Beginning... Knowledge Gap Theory Information and knowledge usually spread unequally to all groups within social systems

14. Reasons Knowledge Gap Theory Predicted Knowledge Gap

15. Hypothesis Knowledge Gap Theory As the infusion of mass media information into a social system increases, segments of the population with higher socioeconomic status tend to acquire this information at a faster rate than the lower status segments so that the gap in knowledgebetween these segments tends to increase rather than decrease

16. Study Variables Knowledge Gap Theory IV DV variation in mass media publicity or media use knowledge gap according to social economic status Knowledge gap becomes the degree of relationship between education and knowledge

17. Operational Hypothesis Over time, acquisition of knowledge of a heavily publicized topic will proceed at a faster rate among better educated person than among those with less education 2. At a given point in time, there should be a higher correlation between acquisition of knowledge and education for topics highly publicized in the media than for topics less highly publicized. Knowledge Gap Theory A B C

18. Assumptions Education indicates socio-economic status Information flow may be characterized by irreversible linear or curvelinear trends No upper limit of information has been reached PA and science news have less appeal and value to Knowledge Gap Theory

19. Methods - Tichenor Types of research: Time trends Newspaper strike Field experiment Methods: - surveys of mass media - tests of knowledge Knowledge Gap Theory

20. 4 different polls: Question: Do you believe men would reach the moon in the future? Results: - Gap between college educated and those with lower education - Significant increase of knowledge over years 1. Time trend Knowledge Gap Theory

21. 2. Newspaper Strike Study Knowledge Gap Studied the effects of withdrawing mass media influence Findings: Less of a knowledge difference between better and less educated people in the strike community

22. 3. Minneapolis – St. Paul Experiment Knowledge Gap Theory Reader understanding: 22 medical and biological research articles 21 social science articles Sample: 600 persons – metropolitan area Objective: readership and reiteration of information

23. Findings Most of the data seems to be consistent with the increasing knowledge gap hypothesis A difference in knowledge according to educational level Regardless of educational background, knowledge increases over years When deprived of information, the gap between more and less educated persons lessens People may develop trained capacities to react to various stimuli Knowledge Gap Theory

24. Relevance The Knowledge Gap hypothesis seems to be a fundamental explanation for the apparent failure of mass publicity to inform the public at large The people reached by campaigns tend to be the better educated, the younger and the men, while less educated and older people ignore the campaign Knowledge Gap Theory

25. Criticism The psychological level of analysis should also be analyzed: motivation, relevance, cognitive schemata, threat and interest. Gender and race were not taken into consideration PA and news science are less valuable and appealing to the general public Income, occupation may also be relevant differentiators Knowledge Gap Theory

26. Refinement of the Theory

27. Closing the Gap Tichenor Shift from an abstract notion of social systems to a concrete geographically grounded idea of community Kw gap decreases for local issues under conditions of high significance, high community conflict and homogenity of population Refinement of the Theory ?

28. Individual Voluntarism Ettema & Kline Shift from societal naturalism to individual voluntarism The individual is seen as an entity constructing meanings unique to their circumstances Refinement of the Theory

29. Influence Gap? Brantgarde Expanded the knowledge gap to include more than knowledge, namely social relations (opinion leaders) Knowledge gap becomes the influence gap Refinement of the Theory

30. Further Questions Q: If media widens these knowledge gaps, under which circumstances can they be closed? Knowledge gaps are not intractable. Contributory conditions that could reduce knowledge gaps: content domains channel influence social conflict and community mobilization the structure of communities individual motivational factors.

31. Thank you for your attention !