This study was an attempt to determine if cognitive style could be used as a predictor of mediated information sources. The study posed the general question: are individual preferences for different media as information sources related to an individual's "cognitive style?" The purpose of the study was to extend theories on predicting the use of mediated messages through the application of cognitive style research. Specifically this study attempts to determine whether cognitive style variables are related to individuals' uses of mass media news sources. To test this question, cognitive style was compared to current predictors of media use (demographics and psychographics) to determine if cognitive style explained variance beyond that accounted for by the currently accepted constructs. / The subjects for this study consisted of 510 undergraduate and graduate students at Auburn University. All participants were given the Witkin Group Embedded Figures Test and a media questionnaire. The data analysis included: binomial probability statistics, chi square, factor analysis and multiple regression, and discriminate analysis. / Major findings were: (1) Cognitive style accounted for only 0.12 percent of the variance in predicting media use for information. This small amount of variance accounted for was not statistically significant and may be due to chance. (2) Highly field-dependent subjects were more likely to use television for news than newspapers. However, in this study, all subjects generally used television more for news than newspapers. (3) Post hoc analysis indicated that cognitive style was statistically significant in predicting local media behavior (university town newspaper and local television station newscasts). / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: A, page: 1571. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76122 |
| Contributors | PADGETT, STEVEN BROOKS., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 240 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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