Selective Exposure to Sexual Television Content: The Role of Genre and Perceived Message Intent

• In Event: Top 4 Papers in Mass Communication

Abstract

Little is known about how different types of programs motivate exposure to entertainment-education programs. Participants read a series of descriptions of television shows about sexual health, including sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy, and abortion and then indicated their level of interest in viewing. Participants were told that the programs were either (a) dramas or (b) news/informational and that they had been produced either (a) purely for entertainment or (b) to entertain and promote healthy behavior.

Author

• Emily Moyer-Guse, Ohio State University