Reception theory is a theory proposed by Stuart Hall. Its main principal is that a text can have different meanings to different audiences. It is also called "reader response theory". The reader (or viewer) contributes to a text by interpreting it to what they think it says. This interpretation, or understanding, is a product of the whole audience reading or viewing it, not just individuals. How an audience receives a text can sometimes be radically different from how it was intended to be received.