New technologies have given rise to new media and new uses of existing media. The remote control device (RCD) has allowed television viewers greater opportunity for selective exposure, selective attention and control over their viewing habits. Past research on RCD usage has been based on self-report, wherein viewers "remember" how often they use their RCD to change channels and why they used it. / This study recorded RCD activity in a naturalistic setting, monitoring channel changing and other RCD behaviors and determined discrepancies between reported and actual RCD use. This is one of a few academic studies of RCDs that does not rely on a survey (respondent recall), but rather records actual behaviors in the participants' home. This study also examines viewers' uses of RCDs within the framework of selective exposure. / Slightly over 374 hours of television viewing by 44 participants yielded 13,680 channel switches. It was found that viewers made an average of 36.6 channel changes per hour. In other words, they watch channels for an average of one minute and 38 seconds between changes. Further analyses revealed an audience of channel "surfers" as 80% of the switches took place after a channel was on for less than five seconds. Participants watched an average of 6.3 different channels and almost half (49%) of the total viewing time was spent watching the four major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox). / A profile distinguishes three types of RCD users: (1) consistently high channel changers; (2) consistently low channel changers; and (3) conventional channel changers (those who engage in high and low channel switching). These three groups differ in the average number of channel changes per hour as well various RCD and television viewing behaviors. / The implications of this study's findings as they relate to television programming, the advertising industry and new communication technologies are also discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-12, Section: A, page: 3675. / Major Professor: Barry S. Sapolsky. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77312 |
| Contributors | Kaye, Barbara Kowalewski., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 173 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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