PROGRAM SELECTION WITH ABUNDANCE OF CHOICE
Abstract
A model of program choice focusing on the decision-making process is developed and applied to cable television viewing. The process concepts of orienting search (becoming aware of alternatives to watch) and revaluation (reconsidering a choice) are found to be positively correlated with channel familiarity (awarensss of available cable channels) and channel repertoire (use of cable channels). Viewers appear to have their own routine means of choosing what to watch that vary according to personality characteristics and demographics. Young, male adults with a high need for stimulation engage in more active choice processes.
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In high-choice media ecologies, individuals tend to select a subset of media outlets as information sources they use regularly to inform themselves about politics, which can be called a media diet.
“En ecologías mediáticas de alta capacidad de elección, los individuos tienden a seleccionar un subconjunto de medios de comunicación como fuentes informativas que utilizan regularmente para informarse de política, lo que podría denominarse dieta mediática (Dubois y Blank, 2018;Heeter, 1985;Padró-Solanet y Balcells, 2022;Wolfsfeld, Yarchi y Samuel-Azran, 2016).”
From Dieta mediática y polarización afectiva en un sistema mediático pluralista polarizado: un estudio longitudinal de España (2026) · cites this paper as Heeter, 1985
Cites
Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search, and attention.
Schneider, W., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1977) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.84.1.1 · Cited by 5,902 · see citing works
A THEORY OF TELEVISION PROGRAM CHOICE
WEBSTER, J. G., & WAKSHLAG, J. J. (1983) · Communication Research · doi:10.1177/009365083010004002 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
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The echo chamber is overstated: the moderating effect of political interest and diverse media
Dubois, E., & Blank, G. (2018) · Information, Communication & Society · doi:10.1080/1369118x.2018.1428656 · Cited by 1,055 · see citing works
Deconstructing the Diversity Principle
Napoli, P. M. (1999) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1999.tb02815.x · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Science News Consumption Patterns and Their Implications for Public Understanding of Science
Su, L. Y.-F., Akin, H., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D. A., & Xenos, M. A. (2015) · Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly · doi:10.1177/1077699015586415 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Cooper, R. (1996) · Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media · doi:10.1080/08838159609364335 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Cuéllar Rivero, R. (2026) · Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas · doi:10.5477/cis/reis.194.25-44
“…tienden a seleccionar un subconjunto de medios de comunicación como fuentes informativas que utilizan regularmente para informarse de política, lo que podría denominarse dieta mediática (Dubois y Blank, 2018; Heeter, 1985; Padró-Solanet y Balcells, 2022; Wolfsfeld, Yarchi y Samuel-Azran, 2016).”
- Authors
- HEETER, C.
- Affiliations
- Michigan State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- HEETER, CARRIE
- ORCID
- HEETER, CARRIE
- Venue
- Human Communication Research
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1985-09
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 126-152
- ISSN
- 0360-3989 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2958
- OpenAlex
- W2160397534
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 0.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Human Communication Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Media and Digital Communication
- Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- program selection, decision-making, revaluation, personality traits, need for stimulation, demographic differences, viewing behavior
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