ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the questions that have traditionally been the focus of emotion and media research, including emotion as an impetus for message selection, an outcome of message exposure, and a mechanism by which other media effects emerge, along with their guiding theories. It also examines the ways in which the study of media and emotion may be expanded to give us a more complete view of how our social lives are shaped and directed by the intersection of these two prevailing influences. Zillmann's mood management theory (MMT) asserts that people use media to modulate their affective states. Emotion has long been a part of media-oriented communication research. Clearly, much remains to be uncovered regarding the role of media in emotional learning and socialization processes. Given the emotional nature of much media content, it is only logical to imagine that media messages may be the source of much social sharing.
