The rtdationshtps qf media news, druma, and sports exJnsure, u~i d direct interruciul contact to heli+ about the relutiue socioeconomic 0utcome.s and contributions of black and white Americuns were assessed among tuu samples qf white midwesteru iiniuer.si{y students simxyed in 1980-81 and 1985-86, re.vpectively. LXlf&reiit tvpe.s o j media content were relatt?d d

Telephone surveys were conducted in Virginia and Wisconsin to explore attitudinal predictors of exposure to and enjoyment of reality-based and fictional crime programs. Punitive attitudes about crime, higher levels of racial prejudice, and higher levels of authoritarianism were associated w'th more frequent viewing and greater enjoyment of reality-based programming, but were unrelated to enjoyment of fictional programming. Reality-based viewing and enjoyment were also more common among younger respondents, respondents with lower levels of education, and respondents who were heavier television viewers.Fictional crime or detective dramas have enjoyed popularity since the early days of television.' Until recently, though, actual reports of crime and images of arrests and criminal suspects tended to be confined to news reports. However, viewers today do not necessarily need to turn to news to see actual video footage or reenactments of crimes; this sort of material is readily available (and very popular) in the form of reality-based programming.2 As one critic described, "Conspiracies, unsolved mysteries, horrible accidents, missing children, America's most wanted criminals, and, now, real-life beatings, shootings, and violent deaths. When it comes to prime-time entertainment today, these are a few of our favorites thing^."^ Although many researchers using a cultivation perspective have explored the ways that these sorts of violent images may affect viewers' attitudes and beliefs, the present research recognized that viewers' attitudes also likely play a simultaneous role in the selection and enjoyment of these types of programs? Zillmann's Disposition Theory was employed to explore several attitudes associated with viewing and enjoyment of reality-based crime shows? Predictors of viewing fictional crime programs were also examined to differentiate enjoyment of reality-based programs with standard, fictional entertainment! Zillmann and Bryant have suggested that viewer enjoyment of media messages is largely a function of dispositions toward the characters involved in portrayals of conflict and the outcomes that the characters e~perience.~ Specifically, Zillmann explained that viewer gratification is strongest when liked characters experience positive outcomes (e.g., reward, victory, etc.) and when disliked characters experience negative outcomes (e.g., punishment, loss, etc.).8

Proposed and tested is a causal process that could account for empirical relutionships between teleoision viewing and academic achiezlement. It is argued that television, when used as a secondary actiuity, interferes with performance on otherwise intellectually demanding tasks. Performance on seven different cognitive processing tests were examined for respondents in four television-viewing conditions and a n o -N control group. Dependent variables included measures of short-term memory, linguistic processing speed, reading comprehension, complex problem-solving abilities, and mentalflexibility. Predictions based on four mechanisnis were tested. Sign$cant performance decrements in television conditions occurred for measures of reading comprehension, spatial problem solving, and cognitive flexibility. Results were most consistent with the idea that background television influences performance by causing cognitive processing capacity limits to be exceeded on difficult and complex tasks.he possibility that television viewing exerts an adverse impact on intellectual development and academic achieve-

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Previous research has shown negative background television effects on reading comprehension and memory. This experiment addressed two questions about such negative effects: (a) Are these effects due to interference with processes of initial comprehension and memory encoding, processes of memory retrieval, or both? and (b) Are the effects of background TV stronger for recall or recognition memory? Possible compensating positive effects of background TV were also addressed: Can viewing similar background television content during recall as that viewed during reading improve memory through facilitative context effects? Participants read newspaper science articles with background TV or in silence and completed recall and recognition tests after a filled delay either with TV or in silence. Deleterious effects were obtained for recall memory only and resulted solely from the presence of background TV at the time of comprehension / encoding. No facilitative context effects were obtained by reinstating the same program at the time of recall as experienced at the time of reading.