A Theoretical Basis for

Public Relations
Baskin, Otis Chapter 3
 Outline
1. Theories of Relationship 3. Theories of Mass
a. Systems Theory Communication
b. Situational Theory a. Uses and Gratifications
2. Theories of Persuasion Theory
and Social Influences b. Framing Theory
a. Social Exchange Theory c. Agenda Setting Theory
b. Diffusion Theory 4. Public Relations Roles
c. Social Learning Theory 5. Models of PPR
d. Elaborated Likelihood 6. Approach to Conflict
Model Resolution
 How Theories Connect with
Public Relations?
 Theories: Prediction of how events and actions
related.

 How do theories help the PR practitioner?

Theories can make campaigns and messages more
effective.
 Theories of Relationship
a. Systems Theory
• Is useful in public relations because it gives us a
way to think about relationships.
• Interdependence of organizations with their
environments.
1. Open systemsPR people bring back information
2. Closed systems do not seek new information
• Monitoring relationships → PR as boundary
spanners → advise the dominant coalition.
• The environment imposes constraints on
organization.
Theories of Relationship
a. Systems Theory
 Definition: The attitudes and actions of an
organization or public contribute to a
cause-effect chain reaction within their
environment.
 The parts of an organization and public exist
in relationship to each other, meaning the
actions of one part affect the others.
Applying Systems Theory to
Public Relations
 Systems theory is especially useful to
public relations because it helps the
practitioner manage the organization’s
relationships.
 This theory emphasizes interdependence
between an organization and its internal
and external environments.
Closed and Open Systems

 Closed System: Focuses on the history of

the organization and makes decisions
based on past experiences.
 Open System: Focuses on input from
external publics and the organization’s
external environment.
Theories of Relationship
b. Situational Theory
Definition: People will act on an issue
or situation when they believe it
affects them personally and their
actions can make a difference.
 Theories of Relationship
b. Situational Theory
• Stakeholders concept → effective
communication s by identifying specific
public within stakeholders group.
• Three variables predict when public will seek
and process information about an issue:
1. Problem recognition
2. Constraint recognition
3. Level of involvement
Two Benefits of Situational
Theory
 Helps the practitioner predict when
groups will become active or remain
apathetic.
 Helps the practitioner create
communication strategies for specific
publics
Theories of Persuasion and Social
Influences
 Persuasion: “the use of communication in an
attempt to shape, change, and/or reinforce
perception, affect (feelings), cognition (thinking)
and/or behavior.”
 Factors that will influence how persuasive PR
messages or actions will be: (1) source of the
messages (2) the message itself, (3) the receiver.
Theories of Persuasion and Social
Influences
a. Social Exchange Theory

Cost and benefit metaphor.

People
generally act in
ways that they
assume will reduce
costs and increase
rewards.
Social Exchange Theory and
Decision Making
 PR practitioners try to make decisions based on
the assertion that people will factor in the
consequences of their behavior before they act.
 Practitioners must try to keep costs low and
rewards high in everything from survey responses
to product recalls.
 When the situation is complex, the practitioner
must employ a pay-off matrix to evaluate all
possible decisions and with their accompanying
costs and rewards.

Pay off Matrix p. 49

Theories of Persuasion and Social
Influences

b. Diffusion Theory
Individuals can be influenced to diffuse
and adopt an idea by going through five
stages.
1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Evaluation
4. Trial
5. Adoption
Theories of Persuasion and Social
Influences
b. Diffusion Theory (cont’d.)
 Mass media is useful in the first two
stages, and personal influence is
needed in the next two before adoption
takes place.
Theories of Persuasion and Social
Influences
c. Social Learning Theory
 Personal example and mass media can be
important for acquiring new behaviors.
 New behavior is likely to occur when it is seen as
potentially rewarding.
d. Elaborated Likelihood
Model
 Describes two routes to possible
changes in human attitudes and
behavior.
 Understanding these two options helps
the practitioner devise effective ways to
present information.
The Central Route

 In the Elaborated Likelihood Model, the

central route of communicating a
message presumes that people are
interested in your message, will actively
think about an issue and will evaluate it
with an open mind.
The Peripheral Route

 The peripheral route is taken when a

receiver is deemed unable or unwilling
to think directly about an issue.
 Hence the person is presented with
softer cues peripheral to the issue, such
as…
 repetition of the message
 credible sources
 rewards or premium
A Summary of Theories of
Persuasion and Social Influence
(Cognition and Behavior)
 Social Exchange Theory: people act in ways that
reduce costs and increase rewards.
 Diffusion Theory: people can be influenced to diffuse
and adopt ideas through five stages.
 Social Learning Theory: explain and predicts changing
in behavior  you get the behavior you reward.
 Elaborated Likelihood Model: message strategies
choose between central/peripheral routes based on
receiver’s motivation to process.
 Theories of Mass
Communication
There theories that help us
understand the powerful
influence of media.

a. Uses and gratifications theory

b. Framing theory
c. Agenda setting theory
A Definition of Media

 The English word media is a Latin

derivative of medius, meaning middle.
 For our purposes we define media as…
 all the means of communication, as
newspapers, radio, and TV, that provide the
public with news, entertainment, etc., usually
along with advertising (Webster’s New World
College Dictionary, 1999).
 Therefore, in your writing, media is always a
plural noun.
Use and Gratification Theory
 People are active users of media and
choose how and when to use media based
on its gratification for them.
 You should research why your particular
publics use media. Do they do it…
 as entertainment
 to scan the environment for items that are
important to them
 as a diversion
 as a substitute for personal relationships
 as a check on self-identity
Application for the
Practitioner
 The use and gratification theory helps
the practitioner explain media effects, or
the absence of effects.
 The practitioner must remember that just
because a message is available doesn’t
mean that people will pay attention and
remember it.
Agenda Setting Theory

Agenda Setting is based on the

assumption that although media
can’t tell people what opinion to
hold about an issue, it has influence
on what issues people think about.
The Influence of Agenda
Setting
 The agenda setting theory proposes
that media has the potential to:
 build issue or product awareness
 increase issue salience

How do movies, mass media, affect what

issues people discuss?
Framing Theory

 Case Study

 Framing theory suggest that individuals should use

preexisting interpretations to make sense of
information and events.
 Public Relations Roles
PR have two broad roles to achieve organizational effectiveness:
 Technician roles, the craft side of PR (the one who creates PR tools :
writing, editing, taking photos, handling communication production,
running special events, and making telephone calls to the media.
Focus activities is on the implementation of the managements overall
communication strategies.
 Manager role with focus on the activities to help identify and solve PR
problems. Three roles carried out were:
1. Expert prescriber: the one who operates as an consultant, suggest options
and oversees implementation
2. Communication facilitator: the one who stays on the boundary between
organization and its environment
3. Problem solving facilitator: person who partners with senior manager to
identify and solve problems.
 Models of Public Relations
 Press agentry: information moves one way with the
intention to press for promotion and publicity
(organizations  its public).
 Public information: information moves one way, with the
intent is to inform.
 Two-way asymmetrical model: employs social science
research methods to increase the persuasiveness
messages. There was feedback but the public
 Two-way symmetrical model: depicts a public relations
orientation in which organizations and their publics adjust
to each other.
New Model of Symmetry as Two-
Way Practice
Approaches to Conflict Revolution
Mixed-motive model of PR