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Communication Research
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Stressful Life Events and Television Viewing

DANIEL R. ANDERSON

PATRICIA A. COLLINS

KELLY L. SCHMITT

ROBIN SMITH JACOBVITZ

Mood management theory predicts that people experiencing stress use television to block anxious thoughts and to replace dysphoric moods. In a survey of 491 adults, Study 1 found that stress as measured by life events was unrelated to time spent TV viewing but for women, was positively related to scores on a scale of television addiction. In Study 2, viewing diaries of 329 families were examined with relation to stressful life events. Mood management theory was confirmed in that stress was associated with increased comedy and decreased news in the viewing diet. Stressed women watched more game and variety programming as well as more overall TV. Stressed men watched more action and violent programming. Study 3 examined time-lapse video recordings of 140 adults' TV viewing at home. In men, there was a positive correlation of stress with amount of looking at the TV.

Communication Research, Vol. 23, No. 3, 243-260 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/009365096023003001
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