Two Step Flow Theory

Origin of the Theory
The study of the 1940 election campaign. In 1940, Lazarsfled, Berelson, and Gaudet conducted the first full-scale investigation of the effects of political mass communication. Their research focused on the 1944 Presidential election campaign and their findings were published in 1944, in The People's Choice more research had been conducted.

The Importance of Social Influence
Their research was originally based on the simplistic hypodermic needle model of media influence, whereby it was assumed that a message would be transmitted from the mass media to a 'mass audience', who would absorb the message. Lazarsfeld's investigations suggest that media effects were minimal, and that audiences did not respond to a campaign as such but were more influenced by a person they knew or an opinion leader. The conception of a 'mass audience' was inadequate and misguided due to individuals having opinions towards a message. Social influences had more of an effect on the process of opinion information and limited the media's effect. The research found that we are more likely to respond to people we trust and know.

Limited Effects
The study by Lazarsfeld concluded that only 5% of people changed their voting behaviour as a result of media messages. Audiences exposure to election broadcasts turned out to be a relatively poor predictor of their voting behaviour, especially when compared with other factors such as their personal communication with friends, union members, business colleagues and the political tradition they were raised up in. This view of media effects was confirmed in a variety of other investigations demonstrating that as individuals we are more likely to consume something if it is recommended by friends or family, or people the audience knows. For example, they are influenced by what they watch or listen to.