This volume takes the next step in the evolution of mass communication research tradition from effects to processes -- a more detailed and microanalytical analysis of the psychological processes involved in receiving and reacting to electronic media messages. This domain includes investigations into those psychological processes that occur between the process of selecting media messages for consumption and assessments of whatever processes mediate the long-term impact such message consumption may have on consumers' subsequent behavior. The editors strive to further understanding of some of the basic processes underlying the ways we gain entertainment and information.
"If you are interested in understanding the psychological experience of watching television, [this book] must be consulted. Bryant and Zillmann have assembled a valuable collection. In a single-volume it provides one of the best reviews of the work on the cognitive and behavioral responses to television."—Journalism Quarterly