Mood Adjustment to Social Situations Through Mass Media Use: How Men Ruminate and Women Dissipate Angry Moods

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75109/1/j.1468-2958.2006.00003.x.pd

Sports Spectators' Suspense: Affect and Uncertainty in Sports Entertainment

El Suspenso de los Espectadores de Deportes: El Afecto y la Inseguridad en el Entretenimiento de los Deportes Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick1, Prabu David1, Matt Eastin2,Ronald Tamborini3, & Dara Greenwood4ResumenPara explicar la atracción a los deportes en los medios, la teoría de suspenso es extendida para predecir el suspenso durante la exposición a los deportes. Los espectadores de juego de fútbol de una universidad (n = 113) en un contexto de rivalidad reportaron sus respuestas al juego durante los cortes comerciales. Un análisis multinivel de datos longitudinales muestra que los cambios positivos y negativos del afecto influenciaron el suspenso de los hinchas de ambos equipos. Asimismo, las disposiciones afectivas (arraigadas en el equipo) emergieron como precondición para el mayor suspenso, a pesar de la preferencia por el equipo, aún cuando el compromiso habitual de los fans no afectó el suspenso. Las predicciones acerca del incremento del suspenso debido a la baja inseguridad de la Victoria del grupo favorito y debido a la diferencia menor en el resultado fueron corroborados solamente por los hinchas del equipo ganador.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78673/1/j.1460-2466.2009.01456.x.pd

Confirmation biases in selective exposure to political online information: Source bias vs. content bias

The present work examines the role of source vs. content cues for the confirmation bias, in which recipients spend more time with content aligning with preexisting attitudes. In addition to testing how both source and content cues facilitate this biased pattern of selective exposure, the study measures subsequent attitude polarization. An experiment (N = 120) presented messages with opposing political stances, associated with unbiased or slanted sources. Software tracked selective exposure in seconds, and attitudes were measured before, immediately after, and two days after message exposure. Further, information processing styles were assessed. The confirmation bias emerged regardless of source quality. Information processing styles moderated the confirmation bias as well as selective exposure to messages from unbiased vs. slanted sources. Selective exposure reinforced attitudes days later

Change your ways:Fostering health attitudes toward change through selective exposure to online health messages

Health information is often sought online, despite varying credibility of online sources, and may shape health behaviors. This investigation builds on the Selective Exposure Self- and Affect-Management model to examine selective exposure to online health information from low- and high-credibility sources and subsequent effects on attitudes toward health behaviors. In a lab study, 419 participants accessed online search results about health topics. The display varied messages in a 4 × 2 × 2 all within-subjects design, with topic as a four-step factor (organic food, coffee, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical exercise) and source credibility (low vs. high) and issue stance (promoting vs. opposing health behavior) as two-step factors. Displayed messages either promoted or opposed the related behavior. Results showed that perceiving greater standard–behavior discrepancy (between recommended behavior standards and own behavior) fostered behavior-related attitudes through selective exposure to messages promoting that behavior. The effects from selective exposure to health messages on attitudes occurred regardless of associated source credibility

Steer clear or get ready: How coping styles moderate the effect of informational utility

A 2x3x2 between-subjects experiment tested the effect of informational utility on selective exposure to online news stories. Trait coping styles were tested as moderators of informational utility. Informational utility intensity, characterized by greater magnitude, likelihood, and immediacy, increased selective exposure. A fourth dimension, efficacy, did not yield a main effect or moderate other message factors. However, coping styles demonstrated the proposed interactions. Individuals low on avoidant coping browsed messages with high informational utility longer than messages with low utility. Those low on problem-focused coping spent more time with high-efficacy messages; those high on problem-focus spent more time with low-efficacy messages

When misery avoids company: Selective social comparisons to photographic online profiles

Social networking site usage may affect subjective well-being. Two experiments examined how selective exposure to profiles of other users facilitated mood management via self-enhancing social comparisons. In Study 1, when given detailed impression management cues, such as photographs and status updates, users in a negative mood sought upward rather than downward social comparisons. Study 2 found that relatively low levels of group identification with the social networking site community led to upward social comparisons by users in a negative mood. High group identifiers spent more time viewing upward comparisons, regardless of mood. Regarding exposure effects, upward social comparisons to profiles improved subsequent mood when the comparison involved career success. High group identifiers experienced greater positive mood following upward social comparisons