Predictors of Social Television Viewing: How Perceived Program,Media, and Audience Characteristics Affect Social Engagement With Television Programming

This study investigated social television viewing by introducing the social engagement construct. Three categories of factors, television program related perceptions, social media characteristics, and audience attributes, were proposed to predict the social engagement experience. This investigation tested 10 audience motives for using social media to engage with television content. It was found that social engagement is a complex process driven by multiple factors, particularly, program-related variables such as affinity, involvement, and genre preferences, as well as individuals' innovativeness trait.     

Index to Volume 55, 2011

This article reports a national study of Internet users' usage of cable television Web site features to illustrate the dynamics of cross-media use in electronic media and explore the role of cable television network Web sites in network branding and viewership. Our findings indicate that younger Internet users are much more likely to use television Web sites than older Internet users. Despite the low use of the enhanced features of television Web sites, the increase in the number of Web site feature usage positively predicts viewer loyalty, subscriber loyalty, and to a lesser extent, new subscriber attraction for cable networks.     

Little in Common: Racial and Gender Differences in Adolescents' Television Diets

The assumption that adolescents exist in a common youth culture that cuts across race and gender lines is examined. A sample of 2,942 middle schoolers completed questionnaires. Of the 7 40 television shows listed, only 4 were watched regularly by at least one-third of 4 audience segments (Black females, Black males, White females, White males). Few Whites watched any of the Black teens' top IO shows, and only 2 of the girls' top IO shows were on the boys' list. These data provide little support for the notion of a common youth culture, at least as reflected in current television programming.     

Television and Political Participation Among Adolescents: The Impact of Television Viewing,Entertainment and Information Preferences

Although sweeping statements about the effect of television viewing on political participation could still be found in the literature in the 1990s, it is now commonly held that the effect of television should be studied as a multidimensional phenomenon. Not only the time spent watching television but also the kinds of programs being watched and even the preference for particular stations are assumed to have an effect. In this article, we report on a survey among 6,330 Belgian adolescents allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between various dimensions of television viewing and political participation. We focus on adolescents, because research suggests that the decline in participation levels clearly manifests itself in this age group. The results of the analysis confirm a negative impact of the amount of television viewing, which is partly counterbalanced by a positive impact of a preference for information and for public broadcasting. We discuss the implications of these findings among adolescents for adult participation behavior.     

Gender,Sports, and New Media: Predictors of Viewing during the 2008 Beijing Olympics

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was the most watched television event in U.S. television history, and represented a broad expansion and emphasis on online sports content. This study examined audience's multiplatform experience with the 2008 Beijing Games, particularly the interactions between and among gender groups, viewing the Olympics, and use of new media. Results indicate that although men and women were significantly different in sports viewing and media use in general, they shared similarities in seeking Olympic content on various media platforms.     

Personality Traits,Television Viewing,and the Cultivation Effect

This research investigates the impact of 3 personality traits—trait anxiety, sensation seeking, and psychoticism—on cultivation effects regarding perceptions of violence. A survey measuring violence prevalence estimates, personality traits, television consumption, and genre preferences was completed by 427 undergraduates. Results indicate that low trait–anxious individuals, and to a lesser extent high sensation seekers, are more susceptible to cultivation regarding personal vulnerability to crime whereas those low in psychoticism are susceptible to cultivation regarding societal violence perceptions. The worldview offered by these traits, as opposed to TV genre consumption or resonance, seems to best explain these effects.     

The Relation Between Television Viewing and the Values Orientations of Japanese Students

Applying the postulates and methodology of the universal value structure theory articulated by Schwarrs and Bilsky (1987, 1990) to mass communication, this study employs value type analysis to investigate how respondents' cultural background and television viewing habits are related to their perceptions of the importance of value types and to individualistic or collectivistic value structures. In this study, we found significant relations between television program genres viewed and individualist, collectivist, and mixed value types. The findings indicate that-throughout individualist, collectivist, and mixed value types-television program genre usually serves as a stronger predictor of value type importance than do demographic variables.     

Correlations of Media Habits Across Time,Generations, and Media Modalities

This study investigates media uses and preferences across two generations and across television and video games. Path analyses using data from 335 families show that the number of hours of television viewed by the first generation (parents at age 30) positively predicts the amount of television use by their offspring in the second generation 18 years later, as well as their own amount of television viewing at that time. The analyses also show that the amount of video game playing among offspring is significantly related to their own as well as their parents' concurrent TV use. While there is no similar longitudinal correlation between a preference for violent television by parents at age 30 and that of their offspring 18 years later, parents' violent television preferences at age 48 are positively correlated with their offspring's concurrent preference for violent television content. Additionally, the violent television preferences of offspring are positively correlated with their own preferences for violent video games. These effects were found while controlling for SES, intellectual achievement, and offspring gender. These results suggest that the amount of time devoted to media use and preferences for violent media generalize across media modalities and are transmitted across generations.     

Feeling Connected via Television Viewing: Exploring the Scale and Its Correlates

Contextualized in television program viewing, the current study seeks to develop a new scale that captures individuals' feelings of being connected to others via media consumption. Literature on general human motivation and media consumption motivation sheds light on social relatedness in television experiences. Data suggest a three-factor structure of the focal concept of feeling connected via television viewing (FCTV): (1) a perception of shared viewing among one's immediate social circle and anticipation of subsequent communication as aided by television programs, (2) a sense of global community enhanced by shared television experiences, and (3) communication with distant unknown others. A stronger sense of FCTV predicts a greater tendency for an individual to watch a program when it is first released, and to watch it together with one's friends, as well as a higher level of general involvement with television. Further, we differentiate the focal concept of feeling connected to other television viewers via television viewing from the related concept of parasocial interaction with television characters. Relative to parasocial interaction, FCTV better predicts collective viewing and first-run viewing.     

It's Not Always About The Money: Using Narrative Analysisto Explore Newspaper Coverageof the Act of Collecting

Over the last few years, the number of television dating shows has increased exponentially from 2 to over 28 during the period of 2000 to 2002. The purpose of this study was to examine demographic variables, personality characteristics, and attachment styles of individuals who view television dating shows. Furthermore, motives for viewing television dating shows and viewers' responses to the content were examined. A convenience sample of 601 participants, including 413 who watch television dating shows, were solicited to complete the Internet-mediated study. Results revealed significant demographic differences between the two groups and demographic variables were associated with specific television viewing practices. An exploratory factor analysis revealed three motives for viewing television dating shows: excitability, social learning, and escape. Sensation-seeking, attachment style, and motives for watching television dating shows were predictive of viewing practices. These findings suggest that viewing television programming such as dating shows may be a viable source of arousal for sensation seekers. Both theoretical and applied implications of these findings are explored.     

Competition's Effects on Programming Diversity of Different Program Types

The public interest goals of television sometimes collide with the goals of market-driven broadcast industries. Because market forces have a pronounced effect on the broadcast sector in most countries, it is important to understand the relation between market competition and public interest goals like program diversity. To find a general pattern governing TV programming in a commercial environment, this study examines the relations between competition and diversity trends for programs oriented toward the public interest and for entertainment shows. The results show that overall diversity is a decreasing function of competition, but that competition's effects on diversity differ for informational and cultural programs and dramas. Both the degree of competition and broadcasters' goals for each program genre have important effects on the diversity of television programming.     

Viewing television talk shows

We examined how motivation, audience activity, and attitudes influenced the likelihood of watching societal‐issue and relational topics on television talk programs. Path analysis supported differences in ritualized and instrumental motives for watching talk shows. Information and exciting‐entertainment motivation predicted greater’ realism of, affinity with, involvement with, and intent to watch talk television. Pass‐time motivation predicted reduced affinity with and intent to watch talk television, and reduced likelihood of watching relational topics. Information motivation predicted greater likelihood of watching relational topics. We discussed these findings in light of the concept of audience activity.     

Use and Gratifications of Singing Competition Reality Shows: Linking Narcissism and Gratifications Sought with the Multimedia Viewing of Chinese Audiences

Singing competition reality shows have gradually come to dominate the mainland Chinese TV program market. This study explores the gratifications that Chinese audiences seek from watching such shows. An analysis first reveals that the most salient gratifications sought are ambition, suspense, social interaction, and high production quality. Second, narcissism significantly enhances the gratifications that audiences seek in viewing such shows. Third, individuals’ preferences in terms of their ambitions and quality of productions are significantly associated with their choice of media platforms. Finally, social interaction gratification sought and a preference for high-production quality were found to be highly related to Chinese audiences’ viewing and postviewing activities. We found support for these propositions in data collected from a probability sample of 559 respondents. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

When TV and Marriage Meet: A Social Exchange Analysis of the Impact of Television Viewing on Marital Satisfaction and Commitment

Although several studies have examined the association between television viewing and romantic relationships, differences in theoretical grounding, methodology, and findings have produced a picture that is decidedly unclear. Furthermore, past research has been directed primarily toward general relational attitudes and hypothetical relational behaviors without considering potential effects of viewing on existing, long-term relationships. This study sought to address these issues by drawing on the theoretical traditions of cultivation analysis, uses and gratifications, and social exchange theory to explore the associations among relationship variables and measures of both television viewing and belief in television portrayals by analyzing data collected from 392 married individuals. Results revealed that both heavier viewing of romantically themed programming and greater belief in television's portrayals of romantic relationships were associated with lower marital commitment, higher expected and perceived costs of marriage, and more favorable perceptions of alternatives to one's current relationship.     

Long-Term Sociopolitical Effects of 9/11 Television Viewing,Emotions, and Parental Conversation in U.S. Young Adults Who Were Children in 2001

This research used a survey to examine how 9/11 television viewing, emotions, and parental conversation influenced current sociopolitical attitudes of young adults who were children in 2001. Young adults who watched more television coverage of the 9/11 attacks as children were found to exhibit lower levels of social trust and support for immigration now, whereas young adults who had more frequent conversations about 9/11 with their parents as children were found to have more confidence in U.S. political institutions and to exhibit more support for immigration. These results illustrate that, although the psychological distress from an event like 9/11 may fade for children not directly affected by the event, the influence of that event on how young people think about the world may remain, and that media coverage of and parental conversation about the event play significant roles in influencing these long-term effects.     

Primacy Effects of The Daily Show and National TV News Viewing: Young Viewers,Political Gratifications,and Internal Political Self-Efficacy

This study examines program ordering effects derived from viewing CNN television news relative to The Daily Show on the political gratifications associated with both types of information sources. Internal political self-efficacy is assessed as an individual-difference moderator. Main primacy effects are found on the gratifications associated with both national television news viewing and The Daily Show viewing. However, The Daily Show primacy effect on the political gratifications associated with national television news viewing was isolated among those participants who retain low internal political self-efficacy. Ramifications for these findings are outlined and future lines of research are summarized.     

Revealing a Double Jeopardy Effect in Radio Station Audience Behavior

Scores of consumer behavior studies have confirmed what has been called a double jeopardy effect, whereby brands earning small market shares attract fewer customers but also experience less customer loyalty than more popular brands. This two-fold plight of the small brand has also been detected among consumers of media, such as newspapers and television programs. This study hypothesized a similar double jeopardy behavior among radio station audiences. Using ratings-based turnover ratio and exclusive cume as operationalizations for listener loyalty, an analysis of over 1,600 stations revealed that, despite radio's emphasis on niche marketing, a significant double jeopardy effect can still be found. Furthermore, station competition and program format were tested as intervening variables.     

Rerun content preferences: An examination of favorite program types

Loyalty to program types is recognized as a significant characteristic of television viewing behavior. Few studies have investigated preferences for rerun program types. This study examines the content preferences of favorite programs for differences of rerun programs and first‐run programs among 489 respondents.     

Gender-Differentiated Production Features in Toy Commercials

Twenty years ago researchers found that quite apart from the manifest content of television commercials aimed at children, certain formal features showed a marked tendency to vary according to the sex of the target consumers: in particular certain post-production features (transitions and voice-overs). The current study involved a content analysis of formal features in 117 toy advertisements broadcast on British television. Statistically significant differences were found for the same features and also for camera work.     

The relationships of trait verbal aggressiveness and frequency of viewing and enjoyment of television sitcoms

Verbal aggressiveness is the tendency to attack the self‐concept of another person with the intent to inflict psychological pain (Infante & Wigley, 1986). This study focused on how low and high verbally aggressives differ in the television sitcoms they watch and how enjoyable they find those shows. Participants (N = 555) first completed the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. Then they were asked how often they watch particular television sitcoms and if they watched a given sitcom, how entertaining they found that show to be. The sitcoms included in this study were those that were televised in April 1996. Of the 33 shows included in the analyses, low verbal aggressives differed from high verbal aggressives on 8 shows for frequency of watching and on 11 shows for entertainment value.