The theory implied the mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. The mass media in the 1940s and the 1950s were perceived as a powerful influence on behavior change.Several factors contributed to this 'strong effects' theory of communication, including;
-The fast rise and popularization of radio and television
-The emergence of the persuasion industries, such as advertising and propaganda
-The Payne Fund studies of the 1930s, which focused on the impact of motion pictures on children
-Hitlers monopolization of the mass media during WW11 to unify the German public behind the Nazi party.
The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by 'shooting' or 'injecting' them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response.
They express the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating and idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message.
People are seen as passive and are seen as having a lot of media material 'shot' at them. People end up thinking what they are told because there is no other source of information.
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