Theories on audience behaviors

How & in what situations do audience members influence each other?

receiver-receiver interaction (cf. Holtzman, P. 1971) verbal, physical and vocal stimuli Likelihood of opinion change (cf. Hylton, C. 2006) Mood dependent reception (cf. Hocking, J. E., Margreiter, D. G. & Hylton, C. 1977) Inter-Audience Influencing (ibidem)
Seite 1 FG Medienpsychologie und Medienkonzeption | Virtual Reality | WS 2012/13

Seite 2

FG Medienpsychologie und Medienkonzeption | Virtual Reality | WS 2012/13

The members of an audience can also experience a connection between themselves due to:
empathetic experience (Corness, Carlson and Schiphorst, 2011); expectation of common understanding (Anderson and Kilduff, 2009); subjective norm (Smith and Louis, 2008); conformation (social evaluation + useful judgements) (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955);

Did you know that...?

Even crowds exert a hypnotic influence on their members?
(Anderson & Kilduff, 2009; Turner, 1991; Sherif & Sherif, 1964)

Certain sources of normative influence will be not considered by the members of an audince?
(Smith and Louis, 2008)

Goals achievement has a powerful impact on intergroup relations?

(Sherif, M., 1906)
FG Audiovisuelle Technik | Hauptseminar | WS 2012/13 Name | Thema

Theories on audience behaviors

How to manage audiences
Do audience analysis Provide an accurate summary of your topic

Pitch your presentation at the right level of your audience

Spot potential problems before you start your program Treat people with respect

Seite 5

FG Medienpsychologie und Medienkonzeption | Virtual Reality | WS 2012/13

Theories on audience behaviors

How to manage audiences
Take questions throughout your presentation Bridge gaps by suggesting additional resources

Let them set the agenda

Stay focused (dont tell stories) , stay concise

Seite 6

FG Medienpsychologie und Medienkonzeption | Virtual Reality | WS 2012/13

Sources
Hylton, Cal, Intra-Audience Effects: Observable Audience Response. In Journal of Communication Volume 21, Issue 3: 253-265. 1971
Holtzman, P. The Psychology of Speakers' Audiences. In Glenview: Scott Foresman, 1970. Hocking, J. E., Margreiter, D. G. & Hylton, C. IntraAudience Effects: A Field Test. In Human Communication Research, Vol. 3, Issue 3: 243-249. 1977

FG Audiovisuelle Technik | Hauptseminar | WS 2012/13 Name | Thema

Sources II
Corness, G., Carlson, K. and Schiphorst, T. (2011), Audience Empathy: A Phenomenological Method for Mediated Performance, C&C '11 Proceedings of the 8th ACM conference on Creativity and cognition, pp. 127-136. Anderson, C. and Kilduff, G.J. (2009), Why Do Dominant Personalities Attain Influence in Face-to-Face Groups? The Competence-Signaling Effects of Trait Dominance, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96 (2), pp. 491503.

Turner, J. C. (1991), Social influence, Milton Keynes: Open University Press cit. in Smith, J. R. & Louis, W. R. (2008), Group norms and the attitude-behaviour Relationship, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, pp. 1-27.

http://psychologicalresources.blogspot.de/2011/02/how-groups-influencetheir-members.html accessed on 24.10.2012

FG Audiovisuelle Technik | Hauptseminar | WS 2012/13 Name | Thema