Hypodermic syringe model
Early media effects theory proposing media messages are injected directly into passive audiences, influencing thoughts and behaviour. Now largely discredited.
Real World
After the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, US politicians blamed violent video games like Doom and Quake — invoking hypodermic thinking — despite researchers finding no consistent causal link between gaming and real-world violence.
Exam Focus
When 'assessing' the hypodermic model, always contrast it with the two-step flow or uses and gratifications model to demonstrate evaluative comparison.
How well did you know this?