What variables define publics in the situational theory?
The situational theory uses three independent variables to predict how people communicate about a problem: problem recognition, constraint recognition, and level of involvement. Each variable describes a person's relationship to a specific situation, rather than a fixed trait. The same person can ignore one issue and act on another, depending on these variables.| Variable | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Problem recognition | Does the person perceive a gap between how things are and how they should be? |
| Constraint recognition | Does the person see obstacles that limit what they can do about it? |
| Level of involvement | How personally and emotionally connected does the person feel to the situation? |
What are the four types of publics within one issue?
The situational theory identifies four types of publics within a single issue: nonpublics, latent publics, aware publics, and active publics. Each type reflects a distinct combination of the three variables. The concept that a public forms around a specific problem originates from John Dewey's 1927 book, The Public and Its Problems.| Group | Variable combination | Response for a PR team |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpublic | Unaffected by the organization's actions and unaware of them. | Monitor and allocate no program resources. |
| Latent public | Medium to high involvement, low problem recognition. | Watch for early signs and prepare messages in advance. |
| Aware public | Recognizes the problem, perceives high constraints. | Supply facts and a clear path to respond. |
| Active public | High problem recognition, low constraint recognition, medium to high involvement. | Engage directly and respond quickly. |
What are all-issue, apathetic, single-issue, and hot-issue publics?
Grunig's second typology categorizes publics across multiple issues, rather than within a single one. All-issue publics are active on every issue. Apathetic publics are inattentive to every issue. Single-issue publics are active on a small subset of issues that specifically concern them. Hot-issue publics become active on one issue that involves nearly everyone and receives extensive media coverage. The two typologies answer different questions. The within-issue typology informs a team about a group's current stance on a specific problem. The across-issue typology helps a team anticipate which groups to expect on various future problems. Jeong-Nam Kim and Grunig later generalized the theory into the situational theory of problem solving, which broadens the approach to problem-solving contexts.How do information seeking and information processing differ?
Information seeking is the active pursuit of facts about a problem, while information processing is the passive reception of messages that happen to reach a person. These are the two dependent variables of the theory; the three independent variables predict which behavior a group will exhibit. This distinction influences how a team constructs messages. Aware and active publics will read detailed explainers, question-and-answer pages, and data tables. Latent publics will not actively search for information on the topic, so they require short, direct messages placed where they already look, such as an email subject line, a social post, or a news headline. Why it works: A person actively searching for answers tolerates length and detail. In contrast, a person not searching stops reading if the first sentence lacks personal relevance. This difference between seeking and processing forms the basis for matching message length to the public. Source: Grunig and Hunt, Managing Public Relations, 1984, and the Encyclopedia of Public Relations entry on segmentation of publics.What is a real-world example of the theory?
The 2017 Pepsi and Kendall Jenner advertisement illustrates a latent public transforming into an active public. Pepsi released the ad on April 4, 2017, and withdrew it the next day due to widespread criticism. Viewers connected to protest movements formed a latent public that had not recognized a problem until the advertisement aired. Once video clips circulated, both problem recognition and involvement increased. This group then posted criticism and parodies. This interpretation represents EPR's application of the theory, not Grunig's original analysis. EPR's case study of Pepsi's Kendall Jenner ad provides the full account. A team applying the situational theory before the launch would have tested the ad with the group most closely aligned with the ad's imagery, as that group was most likely to transition from latent to active.How do PR teams apply the situational theory?
PR teams apply the situational theory by rating each stakeholder group on the three variables and tracking which groups are moving toward an active state. The process involves four steps:- List every stakeholder group connected to the organization's decisions, such as customers, employees, regulators, and neighbors.
- Rate each group as high, medium, or low on problem recognition, constraint recognition, and involvement, using survey data or social listening.
- Assign each group to the nonpublic, latent, aware, or active category, and match the message format to that group.
- Repeat the rating each quarter and after any major decision, because group statuses can change.
| Group | Problem recognition | Constraint recognition | Involvement | Public type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents next to the plant | High | Low | High | Active |
| Residents across town | Low | Medium | Medium | Latent |
| Industry analysts | Low | Low | Low | Nonpublic |
