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Dissertation Information for Thomas Richard Lindlof

NAME:
- Thomas Richard Lindlof

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Journalism and Mass Communication

SCHOOL:
- University of Texas, Austin (USA) (1980)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: A FANTASY-ANALOGUE CONSTRUCT OF MENTAL PROCESS DURING TELEVISION VIEWING INVOLVEMENT

Abstract: "Previous mass communication researches using television viewing as independent or intervening variables have usually not fully specified or validated the theoretically-relevant aspects of that activity. The difficulties experienced by contemporary approaches to the residual effects of media usage are partly attributable to an incomplete understanding of the processes of attention, comprehension, and involvement. By proposing an explanatory construct of those covert processes, a more precise discourse about the viewing activity and its effects on other communication activities can hopefully be generated.

The television viewing construct is analogically modeled on features of a theory of fantasy activity developed from cognitive information-processing approaches. Salient features of the fantasy mode include: its nonvolitional occurrence; its adaptive functions, potentiated by ""current concerns""; effortlessness; physiological correlates of low arousal, ocular fixation, and slow brain wave activity; its normal operation in routinized or redundant environments; the lack of evaluation or feedback with respect to goals extrinsic to the activity; its sensitivity to internal and external cues; and the strong influence exerted by mood states. Fantasy represents for most individuals a rehearsal area for potential actions free from external constraint or commitment. Fantasies are related only weakly to motivational systems, although they are closely tied to individuals' self concepts.

Despite the paucity of physiological data on viewing involvement, sufficient evidence exists to show parallels with fantasy. Comprehension/recall measures are poor indicators of involvement during televiewing since they record only what has been rehearsed and entered into memory, not the momentary responses to television. The effectiveness of television's symbolic form for inducing involvement depends on narrowing the range of viewer interpretation, allowing for the development of anticipatory schemas. The task demands of concurrent activities determine to some extent the sampling style of viewing necessary to maintain fantasy involvement with television. In many respects, television viewing involvement can be considered ""muted role-taking,"" or a form of ""as if"" behavior--projecting hypothetical actions in a context that is irrelevant to operative tasks and goals. Acceptance of the construct casts a different interpretation on the questions that the perceived reality construct of viewing process is concerned with; a revised view of behavior transfers from television to viewers' repertoires, based on individuals' abilities to discriminate contextual cues, is also suggested. Validation and theoretical extension of the construct will require the development of methods that generate new types of data from individuals. Generally, such methods should reconstruct or tap into the viewing involvement context by such means as: physiological measures; thought-sampling procedures during viewing; analysis of individuals' narratives concerning their viewing experiences; construction of hypothetical programming; and qualitative field research for locating family viewing rules/patterns that influence the development of viewing styles."

MPACT Scores for Thomas Richard Lindlof

A = 0
C = 1
A+C = 1
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:30:20

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