Two studies investigated the interrelations among television viewing, materialism, and life satisfaction, and their underlying processes. Study 1 tested an online process model for television's cultivation of materialism by manipulating level of materialistic content. Viewing level influenced materialism, but only among participants who reported…

A between-participants experiment (N = 147) tested for the presence of a delayed effect following exposure to an episode of a legal drama that contained false information. Participants were more likely to endorse false beliefs if they were queried two weeks after watching the program rather than immediately following exposure. The relationship…

The efficacy of inoculation theory has been confirmed by decades of empirical research, yet optimizing its effectiveness remains a vibrant line of investigation. The present research turns to psychological reactance theory for a means of enhancing the core mechanisms of inoculation--threat and refutational preemption. Findings from a multisite…

This experiment explores the relationship between television violence and viewer enjoyment. Over 400 participants were randomly assigned to one of 15 conditions that were created by editing five TV programs into three versions each: A graphically violent version, a sanitized violent version, and a nonviolent version. After viewing, participants…

Two studies examined how adult age and time of measurement influence media preferences. Study 1 (using TV ratings data from 1970s to 1980s) found that the popularity of genres varied over time, but even after controlling for year, age groups differed in (a) genre choices (consistent with socioemotional selectivity theory) and (b) age of characters…

Although research suggests that manifestations of blatant racism are on the decline, findings additionally demonstrate that subtle racism remains prevalent when contexts provide sufficient ambiguity for the expressions to go unnoticed. Notably, studies examining these outcomes have typically been confined to intergroup contexts, despite the fact…

Investigates the cultivation hypothesis by testing two cognitive processes hypothesized to allow viewers to construct television-biased beliefs. Finds the basic cultivation result replicated, but neither process hypothesis was supported. (SR)

Examines the relationship between victimization of characters in television drama and susceptibility to the viewers' cultivation of a sense of personal risk in the real world. Found that viewers whose fictional counterparts are more likely to be shown as victims show stronger associations between viewing and perceived vulnerability. (PD)

The study reported here employed a mixed factorial design to experimentally investigate the effects of message format on memory for the source of information. Political messages were presented in 3 types of formats: conventional political ads, news-like political ads, and news stories. Memory for the source of information was measured directly…

Investigates whether viewers of different ages are aware that camera lenses manipulate the apparent velocity and distance of events presented on television. Suggests that younger viewers do not understand how television production techniques manipulate perceptual information and may thus be misled by their use. (PD)

Describes a study that tested whether the accessibility of information in memory mediates the cultivation effect (the effect of television viewing on social perceptions), consistent with the availability heuristic. Shows that heavy viewers gave higher frequency estimates (cultivation effect) and responded faster (accessibility effect) than did…

Identifies the cognitive skills necessary for children to accurately comprehend projective size on television. Traces the acquisition of these skills and identifies the role of media experience in facilitating comprehension by assessing the extent to which different types of television fare require the use of different cognitive skills. (MS)

Explores and develops a contextual age concept as an alternative to the chronological age concept in communication and aging research. Investigates the dimensions of contextual age and their relationships to the sociodemographics and television viewing patterns of aged persons. (PD)

Investigates evidence of sex bias in references to men and women in "prompted but impromptu" discussions among undergraduate students concerning a popular television program. Finds that the form and content of descriptions varied depending on the sex of the referent. Shows that language used was not as overtly or pervasively sexist as had been…

Examines comparative effects of five health campaign channels used in a risk-reduction project. Reveals that among three variables--reach, specificity, and impact--reach was highest for tip sheets, specificity was highest for booklets and then television programs. Finds newspaper messages had the most impact, followed by booklets and television…