Examines those at the margins of television viewing (self-defined heavy viewers and non-viewers who neither own nor watch television) in order to understand how these groups situate television in their lives. Finds that both populations address themes of motivation, consequences, and importance but choose different actions based on those…

Explores the psychological origins of media gratification by examining how pertinent psychological variables help explain television viewing motivation. Finds that parasocial interaction, anxiety, creativity, sensation seeking's disinhibition dimension, and television affinity and exposure, helped to predict viewing motivation. (PRA)

Shows that the biologically rooted individual difference behavior variable of temperament was consistent and moderately strong causal factor in forming television use motivations among undergraduate students. Finds distinct patterns of relationships between temperament and all television use gratifications supporting the uses and gratifications…

A study explored the relationship between gender and talk show viewing motives. Students (109) from 6 randomly selected introductory communication classes in a midwestern university, 30 people belonging to a non-traditional student organization called "Oasis," and 8 residents of a retirement home were given Rubin's instrument to assess…

Explores relationships between motivations for television viewing, including shyness, loneliness, self-esteem, and three measures of social support. Suggests viewing motivations are related to needs arising from two distinct sources: social compensation and mood management. (MS)

Describes two studies that examined how chronic loneliness influenced local news and soap opera viewing by nontraditional and traditional college students. The relationships between loneliness, media use, and interpersonal interaction are discussed, and discriminant analyses are presented that examined viewers' motives, attitudes, and activities…

This study of U.S. college students' soap opera viewing habits investigated their motives; interrelationships among motives, audience viewing dispositions, and life patterns; whether viewing dispositions and life pattern variables explain viewing motives; and what multivariate structures explain relationships between viewing motives, viewing…

Discusses methodology and results of a study conducted at the University of Massachusetts in which bored versus stressed subjects were provided opportunities to watch television. Results indicate bored subjects more frequently selected exciting rather than relaxing programs, while stressed subjects selected similar quantities of each program type.…