Final answer:
George Gallup's research unveiled the limited influence comic strips and media have on readers due to the personal communication that filters the media's effects, known as the minimal effects theory. It also highlighted the importance of proper sampling techniques in polling, exemplified by the inaccurate 1936 presidential election prediction.
Step-by-step explanation:
George Gallup's research in 1931 revealed insights about readers' habits and the influence of comic strips. The data pointed towards an era where media influence was morphing, eventually leading to the development of the minimal effects theory, which suggests that media have minimal influence on readers as information is often filtered through social conversations, diminishing the original media effect. This is contrasted against the cultivation theory of the 1970s, which posited that media significantly shape a person's worldview through the presentation of a perceived reality. Additionally, Gallup's research touched on the importance of rigorous scientific methodology in conducting polls, a lesson highlighted by the flawed prediction of the 1936 presidential election by Literary Digest, which failed to account for non-response bias and overrepresented certain demographics.