This dissertation examines possible differences in media habits and tastes between Christians and non-Christians. The study utilizes data from singles Internet personal advertisements to determine whether or not Christians, especially those with high levels of religiosity or who may be part of the Christian Right, have different television viewing patterns. Three models were developed using multivariate data analysis and logistic regression to examine Christians' television viewing habits regarding reality shows, soap operas, and news. The first model looks at the viewing habits of Christians, the second model examines the viewing habits of Christians attending religious services at least monthly, and the third model analyzes the viewing habits of Christians attending religious services at least monthly and having conservative political views. No significant differences were found in viewing habits between Christians and non-Christians for any of the three models. Although the results of this study cannot be generalized to Christians as a whole, they suggest that Christians in this sample might have adopted secular practices with regard to their television viewing habits.

The first step in this process is to define what is implied by the term "Uses and Gratifications" and to elaborate on current perspectives of the uses and gratifications paradigm in order to understand the need for the present research. As the second step in this process. a discussion of the variable of audience personality will be explored in order to describe why some of the people exhibit different preferences for different television program content. The end result of this discussion on personality and program preference will be a contribution to the body or heuristic knowledge surrounding the reasons for specific television behaviors by the audience.

The study examined the ability to learn values while watching sports programming on television. Sports are seen as a huge influence in our lives and helping to spread that influence and bring the games right to our living rooms is television. A total of 360 surveys were collected from three universities, one in the West, one in the Midwest, and one in the South. What was found was there is a direct connection between the exposures to the values seen in sports to the evaluation of those values in our society, which led to individual acceptance of the values personally. It was found that almost half of the viewing by respondents of television was watching sports. By watching these events, respondents were able to see these values first-hand and then personally accept them into their own values.

This thesis measures college students' attitudes toward, and the effectiveness of, brand placement in the genre of reality television. Surveys were used to discover the level of brand recall for the products and brands displayed in reality television programming and to discover viewers' reported reasons for paying attention to these brands. The study found that viewers tended to have positive attitudes toward brand placement in reality television and that focus on a brand was a major reason for recall. Furthermore, the study found no significant difference in the recall scores of reality television viewers versus non-viewers and no significant difference based on the perceived level of the reality of the programming.

The frequency of occurrence on typical soap operas of incidents such as homicide, infidelity, and mental breakdown is much greater than is the case in real life. Also, various occupations (e.g., medical profession, legal profession) are overrepresented in these programs. The present study investigated the extent to which heavy soap opera viewers are influenced by these representations. Specifically, the differences between long term soap opera viewers’ and non-soap opera viewers’ perceptions about people and events in the real world were investigated. The subjects’ perceptions of the frequency of occurrences in the general population of such events as divorce, extramarital affairs, serious accidents, deception, having illegitimate children, death by homicide, being institutionalized, working in the medical profession, and being a lawyer were measured utilizing standard survey techniques. Also, the subjects’ estimates of the potential likelihood of future personal involvement in such events were measured. Results indicated that with respect to the probability of having extramarital affairs, nonviewers are more likely to anticipate being unfaithful than viewers [t(98) = -1.94, p <.05]. Also, female nonviewers are more likely to predict that they will be sexually assaulted than female viewers [t(98) = -2.23, p <.05]. No other statistically significant results were found. The results of this study provide no strong evidence that viewing soap operas directly affects viewers conceptions of reality.

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The proposition that television viewing may serve as a functional alternative to some forms of face-to-face interaction with other people was investigated. Under such a proposition, the amount of viewing should relate to a person’s environmental conditions, i.e., the opportunities provided for social contact with others. People in deprived environments should watch more television than those not so situated, as television viewing may represent an alternative means of achieving the desired ends of unavailable social interaction. Likewise, personality should affect viewing habits; some people may be less competent or comfortable interacting with others directly, hence should have to turn to a medium that may compensate or substitute for direct interaction. Objective and subjective reports of environmental constraints, social support, and several objective personality measures were obtained from subjects via questionnaires. In addition, subjects answered questions regarding how and the reasons why they watched television. Logs of all programs viewed over a week period were recorded. Correlational and regression techniques served as the basis of analysis. Results were supportive of the basic proposition. Less reported social support was significantly related to viewing more television. The personality trait sensation seeking was significantly negatively related to viewing television. The relationship between these results and reported reasons for watching television, and viewing specific program types, was also discussed. Finally, several methodological issues involving stability of uses of television and measures involving preferences versus behaviors were examined. / M.S.

Peng Lin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-147). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / List of Figures --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction: --- p.1 / Theoretical Context of the Problem --- p.1 / The Case of Guangzhou --- p.4 / "Composition of “TV Generation"" in Guangzhou" --- p.6 / Chapter 1. --- Native Guangzhou youth: --- p.6 / Chapter 2. --- "Non-native Guangzhou youth (children of early immigrants, those who were born in or moved with their parents to Guangzhou before teenage):" --- p.7 / Cultural Proximity Between Guangzhou and Hong Kong --- p.8 / Organization of Chapters --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Literature Review --- p.12 / Trans-border Television and Its Social Impact --- p.12 / Chapter 1. --- Media's Modernizing Influence --- p.13 / Chapter 2. --- Media's Impact on Cultural Identities --- p.14 / Chapter 3. --- Media Impact in Asian Cases --- p.17 / Audience in Trans-border TV Consumption --- p.20 / Chapter 1. --- Modes of Decoding & Audience Resistance --- p.20 / Chapter 2. --- Cultural Proximity and Reception of Local/Transnational Programs --- p.22 / Young Audience in Trans-Border TV Consumption --- p.27 / Chapter 1. --- Identification and TV Viewing --- p.28 / Chapter 2. --- Cultural Proximity and Television Viewing --- p.29 / Trans-border Media Consumption in Cross-generational Context --- p.32 / Chapter 1. --- Mass Media and Collective Memory --- p.34 / Chapter 2. --- Cultural Practices and Generation --- p.37 / Summary --- p.38 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Research Design --- p.42 / Research Questions --- p.42 / Rationale for Using a Qualitative Approach --- p.42 / Research Methods --- p.43 / Chapter 1. --- In-depth Interview: --- p.43 / Chapter 2. --- Generational Comparative Studies --- p.45 / Sampling Procedures --- p.46 / Data Analysis --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Cultural Proximity in Young Audiences' Consumption of Hong Kong Drama --- p.50 / Guangzhou Young Audiences' Television Consumption --- p.52 / Watching Hong Kong dramas --- p.56 / Chapter 1. --- Dramas of excellent quality --- p.57 / Chapter 2. --- Viewing Preferences and Cultural Proximity --- p.58 / Chapter 3. --- Getting used to the “Hong Kong style´ح: --- p.62 / Pleasures and Media Uses --- p.64 / Chapter 1. --- Topics in Communication --- p.64 / Chapter 2. --- Linguistic Source --- p.65 / Chapter 3. --- Knowledge about Society --- p.66 / Chapter 4. --- Idol Worship --- p.68 / Chapter 5. --- Reference for Modern Lifestyle --- p.69 / Conclusion --- p.72 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Cultural Proximity in Young Audiences' Perception of Hong Kong from Hong Kong Drama --- p.74 / Cultural impact of trans-border media --- p.74 / The Image of Hong Kong: A Visualized Modern City --- p.76 / Audiences' Cultural Identification: Guangzhou versus Hong Kong --- p.79 / Chapter 1. --- A “Not So Different´ح Strategy --- p.82 / Chapter 2. --- Cultural Affiliation as a Basic Tenet --- p.84 / Chapter 3. --- Aligned with the Nation --- p.87 / Chapter 4. --- Identification with Modern Lifestyle --- p.90 / Chapter 5. --- Going to the More Modernized --- p.94 / Conclusion: the Factor of Cultural Proximity in Media Perception --- p.99 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Guangzhou Young Audiences in a Cross-Generational Context --- p.103 / Generational patterns in media consumption --- p.104 / Chapter 1. --- Watching TV in Daily Life --- p.106 / Chapter 2. --- Viewing Preferences： Hong Kong Drama versus Mainland Drama --- p.108 / Perception of Hong Kong from dramas --- p.117 / Perception of Hong Kong in relation to China --- p.120 / Conclusion --- p.122 / Chapter Chapter 7: --- Conclusions and Discussions --- p.125 / Summary --- p.125 / Implications and Limitations --- p.129 / Appendixes --- p.133 / Appendix I: INTERVIEW PROTOCAL (Translated from Chinese) --- p.133 / Appendix II: PROFILE OF RESEARCH RESPONDENTS --- p.136 / Appendix III: VIEWING PROFILES OF RESEARCH RESPONDENTS --- p.138 / Bibliography --- p.140

No description available.

This study builds on the Uses and Gratifications body of knowledge as applies to motivations surrounding television use, specifically the cult television program Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Through the distribution of online survey it was found that respondents who read and/or wrote fanfiction were more likely to engage in the variable of parasocail relationships. One hypothesis was disregarded due to the invalidity of the variable. Through two research questions it was found that the variable of affinity was indicative of a viewer's involvement with the show. The second research question found only two marginally significant variables, personal identity and realism, with regard to the number of years one had been a fan of the show. Age was found to be significant in all the variables and was accounted for. / Department of Journalism