ABSTRACT
Mediated messages flood our daily lives, through virtually endless choices of media channels, genres, and content. However, selectivity determines what media messages we attend to and focus on. The present book examines the factors that influence this selectivity.
Seminal books on selective media exposure were published in 1960 by Klapper and in 1985 by Zillmann and Bryant. But an integrated update on this research field is much needed, as rigorous selective exposure research has flourished in the new millennium. In the contexts of political communication, health communication, Internet use, entertainment consumption, and electronic games, the crucial question of how individuals choose what content they consume has garnered much attention. The present book integrates theories and empirical evidence from these domains and discusses the related research methodologies.
In light of the ever-increasing abundance of media channels and messages, selective exposure has become more important than ever for media impacts. This monograph provides a comprehensive review of the research on selective exposure to media messages, which is at the heart of communication science and media effects. It is required reading for media scholars and researchers, and promises to influence and inspire future research.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
section Section I|50 pages
Overarching Terms and Theories
chapter 1|22 pages
Building Blocks of the Selective Exposure Paradigm
chapter 2|26 pages
Theories Relating to Selective Exposure
section Section II|76 pages
Methodological Considerations
chapter 3|33 pages
Self-Reports of Media Exposure Recollections
chapter 4|41 pages
Selective Exposure Measurement and Research Designs
section Section III|82 pages
Information Context
chapter 5|29 pages
Cognitive Dissonance and Related Research
chapter 6|25 pages
Informational Utility Model and Related Research
chapter 7|26 pages
Sensation Value and Journalistic Cues
section Section IV|58 pages
Entertainment Context
chapter 8|28 pages
Situational Factors in Selective Entertainment Exposure
chapter 9|28 pages
Selective Entertainment Exposure Beyond Mood Management
section Section V|56 pages
Crossroads of Information and Entertainment
chapter 10|19 pages
Information vs. Entertainment and Infotainment
chapter 11|35 pages
Socio-Psychological Processes
section Section VI|61 pages
Looking Ahead