Predicting selection and activity in television genre viewing

"Active" television viewing has meant (among other things) selective exposu re to types of content, attention to that content, and several different ki nds of other activities during viewing itself. This study argues that such meanings are differently predicted by three types of predictors (individual s' gratifications sought from different television genres, their expertise with these genres, and their need for cognition), and also vary by genre. T wo different instrumental reasons for viewing (mood and content preference) both predicted selective viewing and thinking while viewing, but only cont ent preference predicted attentive viewing. Casual reasons for viewing were related to less viewing and more channel surfing behavior Need for cogniti on was unrelated to variation in genre viewing, but it was related in diffe ring but sensible ways to attention to different genres. These results support the utility of genre in differentiating processes in television viewing and further argue for making a number of distinctions in research: between genres, between gratifications, between gratifications a nd other predictors, and between selective viewing and during-viewing activ ities.