Personal Influence: The Part Played by People

Peter Simonson of the University of Pittsburgh has written that :Personal Influence was perhaps the most influential book in mass communication research of the postwar era, and it remains a signal text with historic significance and ongoing reverberations "more than any other single work, it solidified what came to be known as the dominant paradigm in the field, which later researchers were compelled either to cast off or build upon."

Elihu Katz teaches at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Acknowledgments

xiii

Introduction to the Transaction Edition

xv

Foreword, by Elmo Roper

xxix

PART ONE THE PART PLAYED BY PEOPLE: A NEW FOCUS FOR THE STUDY OF MASS MEDIA EFFECTS

Section One: Images of the Mass Communications Process

I. Between Media and Mass

15

(16)

Mass Media Research: The Study of "Campaigns"

Intervening Variables and the Study of Effect

Four Intervening Variables in the Mass Communications Process

Interpersonal Relations: The Discovery of "People"

II. The Part Played by People

31

(12)

The Opinion Leader Idea and the Two-Step Flow of Communication

The Rediscovery of the Primary Group: Case Histories of an Intervening Variable

The Common Elements in the Pattern

Section Two: Norms and Networks in the Process of Persuasion: Linking Small Group Research with Mass Media Research

III. An Essay in Convergence

43

(5)

IV. Norms and Small Groups: The Shared Character of Opinions and Attitudes

48

(18)

The Instrumental Function: The "Benefits" of Conformity

Providing a Social Reality

Interaction: The Process of Convergence

The Attraction of Shared Values

Interdependent Individuals Demand Conformity of Each Other

Some Hasty Qualifications

V. The Role of the Group in Influencing Change: Implications for Mass Media Research

66

(16)

The Group as a Medium of Change

The Group as a Target of Change

VI. Interpersonal Networks: Communicating Within the Group

82

(34)

The Patterns of Transmission

Strategic Points of Transmission

VII. The Group and the World Outside: Implications for Mass Media Research

116

(21)

Communicating to the Group

The Group in an Organizational Context

The Traditional Community: Examples from International Communications Research

A Summary of Implications

PART TWO THE FLOW OF EVERYDAY INFLUENCE IN A MIDWESTERN COMMUNITY

Section One: Locating Personal Influence

I. Criteria of Influence

137

(12)

The Generally Influential

The Specific Influentials

Everyday Contacts

A Comparison and a Tentative Result

Self-Detected Leaders

II. A Technique of Confirmation

149

(13)

The Follow-up Interview

Confirmation of Alleged Contacts

Acknowledgment of Alleged Roles

The Extent of Confirmation

Conclusion

Section Two: The Impact of Personal Influence

III. The Place of Impact Analysis in the Study of Influence

162

(5)

IV. Searching for and Assessing the Impact of Various Influences

167

(8)

The Art of Asking Why

The Assessment of Impact

The Impact Ratings

V. Evaluating the Impact of Various Influences

175

(12)

Marketing: Foods and Household Goods

Selection of a Motion Picture

Fashion Changes

Summary and Interpretation

VI. The Role and Sequence of Various Influences

187

(11)

The Five Main Elements of an Impact Analysis

The Accounting Scheme

The Number and Order of Influences

Position and Impact

VII. Some Further Technical Problems

198

(10)

The Pre-Classification of Cases

Pitfalls in Interviewing

The Problem of Assessment

VIII. Variations in Impact

208

(11)

The Role of Dissatisfaction

Another Situational Difference

Differentials in the Impact of Personal Influence

The Role of Specificity

Some Concluding Questions

Section Three: The Flow of Personal Influence

IX. On Describing the Flow of Influence

219

(15)

Three Relevant Dimensions

The Distribution of the Sample in the Three Dimensions

The Life-Cycle and Social Status as Determinants of Gregariousness

X. Marketing Leaders

234

(13)

Marketing Leadership and Social Status: A Horizontal Flow Pattern

Life-Cycle Position and Marketing Leadership: "The Large-Family Wives"

Gregariousness and Marketing Leadership

The Extent of Marketing Influence Within the Family

The Flow of Marketing Influence: A Summary

XI. Fashion Leaders

247

(24)

"The Girls": Life-Cycle Position and Fashion Leadership

Does Interest Determine Leadership?

The Flow of Influence: Two Approaches

(1) The "Export" Index

(2) The Follow-Up Story

Gregariousness and Fashion Leadership

Social Status and Fashion Leadership

The Joint Role of Status Level and Gregariousness

The Flow of Fashion Influence: A Summary

XII. Public Affairs Leaders

271

(25)

Social Status and Public Affairs Leadership

Sex, Social Status and the Flow of Influence

The Experts in Public Affairs

The Experts and the Flow of Influence

Gregariousness and Public Affairs Leadership Life-Cycle Position and Public Affairs Leadership

Age and the Flow of Influence

The Joint Role of Status Level and Life-Cycle

The Flow of Influence in Public Affairs: A Summary

XIII. Movie Leaders

296

(13)

"Youth Culture": Movie Leadership and the Life-Cycle

Movie Leadership and Gregariousness: A Special Case

Shared Movie-Going and the Flow of Influence

Age and the Flow of Influence

The Role of the Movie Expert

Social Status and Movie Leadership

The Flow of Influence About Movies: A Summary

XIV. The Two-Step Flow of Communication

309

(12)

Opinion Leadership and Exposure to the Mass Media

Opinion Leadership and the Content of Mass Communications

Opinion Leadership and Mass Media Effect

XV. A Summary of Influences and Influentials

321

(14)

The Social Location of Opinion Leader Concentrations

Subjective Interest as a Leadership Determinant

The Flow of Influence: A Review

Opinion Leader Profiles

Multiple-Area Leadership

Section Four: Technical Appendices and Commentaries on the Research

Appendix A. Choice of the City

335

(5)

1. Procedure Used in Selecting Cities

2. Evaluation of the Results

3. Selection of Sample

Appendix B. A Guide to the Questionnaire

340

(13)

1. Factual Decision Questions

2. The Impact Analysis

3. Sources of Potential Influence

4. Communication Behavior

5. Self-Designated Opinion Leadership

6. Correlates of Opinion Leadership

7. Other Attitude Questions

8. Extraneous Questions

Appendix C. On Follow-up Interviewing and Analysis

353

(16)

1. The Evolution of the Follow-up Questionnaire

2. Two Kinds of Follow-up: Influential and Influencee

3. The Follow-up Mortality

4. Representativeness of the Follow-up Interview

5. On the Analysis of a Follow-up "Flow" Table

Appendix D. On the Construction of Indices (Including a Substantive Addendum on an Index of Popular-Fiction Consumption)

369

(12)

1. An Inventory of Indices Appearing in the Text

2. Four Indices Discussed: Gregariousness, Social Status, "Importance" and Opinion Leadership (self-designated)

3. A Substantive Addendum: On Gregariousness, Anxiety and the Consumption of Popular-Fiction

Bibliography

381

(13)

Index

394

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Personal Influence: The Part Played by People in the Flow of Mass Communications

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials