An emotional appraisal model of media involvement, uses, and effects

This study presents a uses and gratifications model of emotional involvement. Within this view, a television viewer's motivation for watching is a significant predictor of the type or intensity of media effects. In past studies, media involvement was identified as an important mediating variable in uses and effects models. Emotional involvement is the degree of emotional participation a person has with a media character or content. This study uses appraisal theories of emotional involvement within a uses and effects model. The results reinforce the importance of considering both cognitive and affective mediators in multivariate models of media uses and effects.Emotional involvement was conceptualized temporally as the variables interest (before viewing), emotion intensity (during viewing), and emotion duration (after viewing). The model predicted positive relationships across the temporal phases of emotional involvement. Distinct relationships were also expected among media use motives and appraisal theory variables. The multivariate associations among these constructs were used to predict an affectively based media effect, parasocial interaction.I used a correlational design that features self-reports of media use, appraisals, emotions, and parasocial interaction to test the hypotheses and research questions. The data were collected via a quota sample. I trained undergraduate research assistants who subsequently contacted potential respondents to fulfill the quota. The questionnaire was completed in three intervals. Respondents completed the first section before watching a self-designated 30 or 60 minute program. They completed the second section midway through the program. They completed the third section 30 minutes after viewing.Following statistical analysis, several conclusions were supported. First, viewers who indicated instrumental motives also showed stronger appraisals of media content than those with ritualized motives. This suggests that motives set up expectations of media content. Second, appraisal of media messages discriminated distinct emotions. This supports the efficacy of appraisal theory in media message research. Third, a linear temporal emotional involvement model was supported, but only in the case of positive emotion responses. Finally, when motives and cognitive involvement were accounted for, the companionship motive and feeling happy were the best predictors of an affectively based media effect, parasocial interaction.Implications of this study include a reassessment of instrumental and ritualized orientations, speculation on the differences in performance for positive and negative emotions, and the nature of the relationship between cognitive and affective processes during media use.