Richard Potts

Television viewing and depression: No news is good news

This study examines television viewing motives and psychological outcomes of television news viewing by persons in depressive moods. Subjects were measured for depression, motives for television use, and psychological outcomes of viewing TV newscasts. Results suggest that, in general, television viewing can serve as a means of escape from depressive moods, although viewing of news programming may exacerbate such moods.

Sensation seeking, television viewing motives, and home television viewing patterns

Abstract This study examined the relationships between sensation seeking and television viewing motives and home TV viewing preferences. A total of 189 participants completed a sensation seeking scale, rated the importance of several global television viewing motives, and indicated viewing frequency for 18 categories of TV programming. Findings indicated that, contrary to previously-reported results, high sensation seekers did not watch less television or rate it as less important in their lives compared to low sensation seekers. Sensation seekers did, however, indicate several program viewing preferences. Compared to low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers watched more music videos, daytime talk shows, stand-up comedy programs, documentaries, and animated cartoons; they watched fewer newscasts and drama series. Findings are discussed in terms of selective exposure processes and social-environmental influences on behavioral manifestations of sensation seeking.

Television viewing and children's beliefs about scientists

Abstract This study was an investigation of the relationship between television viewing patterns and childrens beliefs about scientists and their activities. Because television is known to present biased and distorted images of many social groups, including scientists, it is possible that frequent viewers develop similarly distorted perceptions of those characters. In this study, sixty-four 6- to 10-year-old children were presented with photographs depicting a policeman, a burglar, and a scientist, and were asked to evaluate each character on 11 personal and occupational role characteristics. Home television viewing patterns, beliefs about television realism, and intrinsic interest in science were also assessed. Results indicate that children rated both the scientist and the policeman in a very positive manner. However, television viewing patterns were related to evaluations of scientists; frequent cartoon viewing was associated with lower ratings of the scientist. It was also found that boys gave generally higher ratings to the scientist than girls. Findings of the study support speculation that commercial television may be an important influence, via cultivation processes, on childrens intrinsic interest in science as both an academic topic and career choice.

Predictors of Children's Risk Appraisals

This study explored variables associated with cognitive appraisals of physical risk in a sample of 62 elementary school children. Participants were presented with drawings of persons in three categories of risky situations typical of children, typical of adults, and typical of television plots. They were asked to judge the potential for physical injury in each. Results indicated that children tended to appraise risks in child, adult, and TV-plot risk situations differently, and that each type of situation was predicted by different variables. For the child situations, greater amounts of direct experience with the risk situation itself was found to be associated with lower risk appraisals. Appraisals of adult risk situations were predicted by age, with older children reporting lower risk appraisals. Sensation seeking, injury history, and weekday cartoon viewing all predicted lower risk appraisals of television situations. Implications of these findings for knowledge about the origins of childhood injury are discussed.

Validity of Adults’ Retrospective Memory for Early Television Viewing

Two studies examined the validity of adults’ retrospective memory for remote past television viewing. In both studies, participants between 18 and 22 years of age reported their past viewing levels for primetime TV series from 10 years, five years, and one year prior to testing. Validity of those remote memories was assessed via examination of ecological viewing patterns, as well as testing memory for program content. In both studies, people reported expected naturalistic, selective, and logically consistent TV viewing patterns. In Study 1, participants’ cued recall of basic content from a random selection of programs was a clear positive function of reported past viewing levels for those programs. In Study 2, memory for program content was assessed in recognition format, and again was a positive function of reported past viewing levels. Further evidence of validity of past viewing reports was found in predicted developmental trends, namely, viewing levels increased across years, in later time slots, and for more adult program genres. Overall, findings indicated valid reporting of early TV viewing, with implications for retrospective designs for investigating long term relationships between early TV exposure and later adult characteristics.

Construct Validity of Adults’ Retrospective Memory for Childhood TV Viewing: Self-Reported Early Exposure to Violent TV Programs Predicts Current Aggression

ABSTRACT Construct validity was investigated of a measure of remote past television viewing in which adults reported their childhood viewing of specific television series. Good recall of past viewing was predicted due to two robust memory capabilities, specifically, high accuracy at estimating frequency of exposure to stimuli, and durable long-term memories for repeatedly-encountered material. Validity was tested by examining relationships between self-reported childhood TV viewing and current aggression. Results indicated that recalled childhood viewing of programs containing violent content was positively related to adult aggressive behavior directly, and aggressive cognitions indirectly, independently of adult exposure to violent TV programs, exposure to nonviolent TV programs, parental disciplinary style, and sex. A valid self-report measure of remote past TV viewing behavior can enable researchers to examine, in a relatively quick and inexpensive manner, long-term relationships between early viewing of any television content and any later psychological outcomes of interest.