IM ADDICTED TO TELEVISION - THE PERSONALITY, IMAGINATION, AND TV WATCHING PATTERNS OF SELF-IDENTIFIED TV ADDICTS

Twenty four of 237 adults surveyed agreed with the statement ''I'm add icted to television.'' They ranged from 18 to 72 years old. Respondent s completed the TV Addiction Scale (Smith, 1986), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975), Short Imaginal Processes Inv entory (Huba, Singer, Aneshensel, & Antrobus, 1982), and Television Us e Styles Inventory (Schallow & McIlwraith, 1986-87). Compared with the rest of the sample, self-labelled ''TV addicts'' were more neurotic, introverted, and easily bored. They more often used TV to distract the mselves from unpleasant thoughts, regulate moods, and fill time. The g roups did not differ in positive fantasy.