Research has examined the ability of entertainment-education (E-E) programs to influence behavior across a variety of health and social issues. However, less is known about the underlying mechanisms that account for these effects. In keeping with the extended elaboration likelihood model (E-ELM) and the entertainment overcoming resistance model…

Presents preliminary data about audience perceptions to colorized movies. Finds that colorized films were seen as more contemporary and were evaluated slightly more favorably. (RS)

Reports results of an experiment in which student subjects read various types of film reviews and then reported interest in attending the film. Finds that higher amounts of information, regardless of evaluation, leads to more interest in the film. (MG)

Investigates patterns of college-student reactions to local television newscasts. Finds that significant audience adaptation does not occur during a 30-minute newscast and that there was no relationship between segment placement and level of viewer interest. Suggests that the audience rebound phenomenon overcomes the audience adaptation phenomenon…

Finds that more permissive sexual attitudes and lower levels of punitiveness were associated with adolescents' greater enjoyment of "slasher films." Shows that traditional attitudes toward females' sexuality were positively associated with gore-watching motivations and with greater enjoyment of previews featuring female victims. (SR)

A study examined whether ethical sensitivity can be measured in response to radio programming. The study was interested in the extent to which a person feels a program is unethical in either its substance or its presentation. Subjects, 17 undergraduates in telecommunications at a large midwestern university, received course credit for their…

Tests relationships between trust in television news and newspaper coverage and each of four attitude components: direction, intensity, closure, and involvement. Finds significant relationships for all four components. Notes that existing hypotheses relating credibility to attitude have not anticipated that credibility might be related to more…

A content analysis of selected print media examined press coverage of the shuttle Challenger explosion. Press sources identifying and explaining technological causes were tabulated for two major newspapers, three popular newsmagazines, and one trade magazine, during the 30 days following the event. Results revealed (1) a failure to provide timely…

A study focused on predictors of people's learning from public service announcements (PSAs) seen on television. Telephone interviews were conducted with 480 adults randomly selected from residents in Dane County, Wisconsin, in October 1987. Typical demographic information was obtained: sex, age, income, occupation and education. Commercial slogans…

Investigates whether the intensity and scope of media system dependency (MSD) relations are positively related to perceptions of threats in the environment. Finds that higher perceptions of threat are associated with more intense MSD relations; threat perceptions are strong predictors of the intensity of MSD relations when demographic variables…

Investigates effects of undergraduate students' physiological arousal induced by physical activity on schematic priming effects from music videos. Finds that in high-arousal conditions priming effects were more extreme and more closely resembled music video content than in low-arousal conditions. (SR)

A study examined the effects of several structural and individual variables on the perceived role of the media by media representatives and the general public. The focus of the study was on public perceptions of the media as "watchdog," but the images of the media as "guide dog,""rabid dog,""lap dog" and…

Investigates how much and what type of information college students receive from the media about drugs. Interviews were conducted with 228 students using the message discrimination protocol. Results are discussed in terms of the audience receiving fear and fight messages rather than clear, accurate information necessary to make informed decisions…

Examines how viewers or readers process and remember media narratives such as entertainment, news, and information. Considers how this is critical to the understanding of the mental processing of television and other media. Finds that undergraduate students who participated in two experiments remembered atypical story items much better even a week…

Argues that the human brain is not specialized to deal with 20th-century media. Measures effects of image size and motion on college students' emotional responses. Finds that image size positively affects the arousal and dominates dimensions of emotional responses, but has no significant effect on valance evaluations. Finds that still pictures…