Uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effects of exposure to the miniseries "Amerika" on attitudes about communism and United States/Soviet relations. Finds that viewers of the miniseries believe that Americans should guard against a very real communist threat by supporting a strong military defense, including the development of…

Noting that perceived violence in society has been found to be positively and significantly related to television viewing and especially related to the viewing of highly violent television, a study examined the relationship between MTV (Music Television) viewing and perceived violence in society. Subjects, 116 seventh grade students and 107…

A study explored the use of seven political information channels available to eligible voters during the 1986 off-year elections. Specifically examined were (1) the degree to which various political information channels were used during this election, (2) which of these information channels respondents depended upon most for information about the…

An exploratory study focused on usage patterns of television remote control devices (RCDs), examining how and why individuals use television RCDs to "graze." The study identified the gratifications obtained from RCD use and evaluated their relative importance in accounting for variations in RCD use. Subjects were 455 undergraduates in…

The 1987 NFL players' strike provided an opportunity to evaluate the importance of media gratification and viewing involvement in the development of audience reactions to a major sports labor conflict that produced gratification denial. Two groups of viewers of professional football--183 adult males in the Memphis, Tennessee area, interviewed by…

A study examined attitude change for viewers of "Amerika," an ABC television miniseries about the takeover of the United States by Soviet forces. Subjects, 267 undergraduates in communication courses at Memphis State University, completed a pretest a week prior to the airing of "Amerika" and a posttest a week after. The…

The purpose of a mass media study was to (l) identify mass media types (patterns of exposure to mass media content) among seventh graders, high school juniors, and adults in a given geographic area; (2) show similarities and differences in the mass media types isolated for these three age groups; (3) pinpoint demographic variables most strongly…