ABSTRACT
Media effects research has the goal of linking exposure to media with changes in attitudes, beliefs, or behavior. In some cases, effects may be thought to stem directly from the use of a medium, rather than its content. For example, television viewing may substitute for more physically active pursuits, leading to weight problems among children who are heavier viewers (Andersen, Crespo, Bartlett, Cheskin, & Pratt, 1998; Hancox, Milne, & Poulton, 2004). For the most part, however, research on media effects has focused on the effects of message content. The most studied example of this is the proposed effect of viewing television-or film-based violence on aggression. Through hundreds of studies and decades of work, it is now well established that, under certain conditions, exposure to violent content can lead to greater acceptance of violence and increased aggressive behavior (American Psychological Association, 1993; Paik & Comstock, 1994). The hypotheses tested by the RAND Television and Adolescent Sexuality (TAS) study are of a similar nature, examining whether exposure to television portrayals of sexual content influences adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behavior.
