Abstract
This article investigates how sensation seeking and age influence televison viewers' online information processing of substance-abuse public service announcements (PSAs). College students and adolescents viewed 30 PSAs that varied in terms of arousing content and production pacing. Dependent variables included substance use, self-reported emotional responses (valence and arousal), physiological responses (heart rate and skin conductance response), and recognition. Results show that high-sensation seekers prefer all messages, remember more, and exhibit lower arousal compared to low-sensation seekers. Adolescents remember more information from the PSAs than college students. All participants exhibit cognitive overload at the same point in time.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 421-454 |
Number of pages | 34 |
Journal | Media Psychology |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2005 |