Diffusion study and Two-Step Flow study

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According to Lowery and Defleur (1995), since diffusion study emphasizes the role of interpersonal communications, the dif fusion study by Ryan and Gross parallels what was independently found by Lazarsfeld and his associates in the discovery of the two-step flow process in the very different setting of The People’s Choice (p. 132). The People’s Choice showed that audiences are not powerless and passive. The study showed that interpersonal channels, such as opinion leaders, are more important than the mass media. Unlike magic bullet theory, both of these studies emphasized the role of the opinion leaders and interpersonal communication, such as face-to-face interactions influencing decision-making.