Receptive Theory

• Due to the limitations and problems of the Effects and Gratification a different approach was taken o audience by Stuart Hall in 1970's.
• The theory states that texts were encoded with meaning by producers and decoded (understood) by audiences. E.g. Watch NSPCC ads whereby we need to help the needy

The theory suggests that ...

• A prouder constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience.
• In some instances audiences will correctly decode the message/meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say.
• In some instances the audience will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message.

Stuart Hall identified 3 types of audience readings (decoding) of the text:

1. Dominant
2. Negotiated
3. Oppositional

Dominant

• The audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do and broadly agrees it.
• E.g. Watching a political speech and agreeing with it. Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA

Negotiated

• Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held view.
• E.g. Neither agree or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested.

Oppositional

• Where the dominate meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural political or ideological reasons.
• E.g. Total rejection of the political speech and active opposition.

Receptive Model Diagram