A MULTIVARIATE FIELD STUDY OF PATTERNS OF TELEVISION PROGRAM EXPOSURE; GROSS CONSUMPTION OF THE MASS MEDIA; AND MACHIAVELLIANISM, ANOMIA AND SELF-ESTEEM Joseph C. Phllport A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 1975 sor Department of Speech apresentative BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY UBRARY ABSTRACT A review of the motivations and gratifications area of mass communication research indicated the need to investi­ gate meaningful patterns of media exposure and to relate those respective patterns to particular subgroups existing in the audience. This study addressed these two problems by employing multivariate methodology in a field setting. The variables included in the study were placed in one of three batteries of measurement that indicated: (l) mass media consumption, (2) patterns of television program exposure, and (3) personality (Machiavellianism, anomia, and self-esteem). In several analyses, demographic vari­ ables were included in the personality battery. Subjects were 124 adults living in Toledo, Ohio and the surrounding communities. Four canonical correlational analyses were conducted examining the relationships between the media consumption batteries and personality. The first analysis found a non­ significant relationship between gross consumption of the mass media and personality. However, the second analysis indicated a positive association between television con­ sumption and anomia; a negative association betwenn the consumption of television, socioeconomic status and educa­ tion. There was a negative association between the con­ sumption of books and magazines and anomia; and a positive association between the consumption of books and magazines, socioeconomic status, and education. Respondent’s exposure to the top twenty-eight tele­ vision programs of the 1974-1975 season was factor analyzed to operationalize patterns of television program exposure. The four factor solution accounted for 42 per cent of the total variance. A significant association was found between exposure to the programs in Factor II (Cher, Maude, Rhoda, Medlcal Center, Good Times and Carol Burnett), non-exposure to the programs in factor III (Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons and The Jeffersons) and anomia. In the final canonical correlation, two significant relationships were found. Viewers of Factor IV (All In the Family, Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart) were found to be high in anomia and of lower levels of education. Respondents who viewed the programs in Factor I (Hawaii Flve-O, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, and Sanford and SonJ and did not view il iii Factor III (Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons and The Jeffersons) were found to be high In anomia and of an older age. The study uncovered a relationship between multi­ variate patterns of mass media exposure and personality. Further research is needed to explore the dimensions under­ lying similar patterns of association in the audience’s transaction with the mass media. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is dedicated to my wife Barbara, whose love is my joy. Special recognization is given to Drs. David Clark and Raymond Tucker. Their respective expertise in mass communication theory and multivariate data analysis were valuable assets available to this researcher. My thanks to Dr. Anthony Maltese for his encourage­ ment and direction. My particular thanks to the many students who assisted me with the data collection and analysis stages of the research. I thank my friends and associates: Dick, Rob, Roger, Dave, Sue, Bonnie, Jim, Des, and Bob. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................................ 1 Introduction .................................................................. 1 A Multivariate Rationale........................................ 2 Research Purposes ................................................ 4 Relevant Communication Theory ............................... 5 Machiavellianism .......................................................... 12 Relevant Machiavellian Research ........................... 13 The Para-Social Interaction and Machiavellianism .......................................................... 15 Relevant Mass CommunicationR esearch .... 17 Field Study Tasks.......................................................... 27 Research Rationale ..................................................... 32 Statement of Research Questions and Hypotheses....................................................................... 34 Analysis I: Gross Consumption of Mass Media and the Personality Profile................................... 34 Analysis II: Gross Consumption of Mass Media, and Personality and Demographic Profile ... 35 Analysis III: Patterns of Television Program Exposure and the Personality Profile .... 35 Analysis IV: Patterns of Television Program Exposure, and the Personality and Demo­ graphic Profile .......................................................... 35 II METHODS AND PROCEDURES................................................. 37 Design................................................................................ 37 Data Collection in General...................................... 38 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Page The Sample....................................................................... 39 Interviewing Procedures and Problems .... 40 Variables and Coding................................................. 43 Mach V Attitude Inventory ............................... 43 Anomia Scale .............................................................. 44 Self-Esteem Scale ..................................................... 46 Age ................................................................................ 46 Socioeconomic Status ............................................ 47 Level of Education................................................. 47 Sex ............................................................................... 47 Television Consumption ........................................ 48 Radio Consumption..................................................... 48 Newspaper Consumption ............................................ 48 Book Consumption..................................................... 49 Magazine Consumption ............................................ 49 Television Program Consumption ...................... 49 , Factor Analysis of Television Program Exposure ........................................................................... 50 Canonical Correlation ................................................. 55 Basic Overview of Computational Procedures.......................... 56 The Interpretation of Canonical Correlation.................................................................. 57 Battery Composition and Canonical Analyses....................................................................... 59 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Page III RESULTS........................................................................................ 64 Analysis I: Gross Consumption of Mass Media and. the Personality Profile . ..... 65 Analysis II: Gross Consumption of Mass Media and, the Personality and Demo­ graphic Profile .......................................................... 67 Factor Analysis of Television Program Exposure........................................................................... 70 Analysis III: Patterns of Television Program Exposure and the Personality Profile .... 80 Analysis IV: Patterns of Television Program Exposure and, the Personality and Demo­ graphic Profile . ................................................. 82 Summary of Results..................................................... 90 Hypothesis I: The subtests of the Gross Consumption of Mass Media battery and the Personality Profile will have at least one dimension in common (k>l) ....................... 90 Hypothesis II: The subtests of the Gross Consumption of Mass Media battery, and the Personality and Demographic Profile will have at least one dimension in common (k>l) .......................................................... 91 Hypothesis III: The subtests of the Patterns of Television Exposure battery and the Personality Profile will have at least one dimension in common (k>l) . 92 Hypothesis IV: The subtests of the Patterns of Television Exposure battery, and the Personality and Demographic Profile will have at least one dimension in common (k>l)..................................................... 92 vili TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Page IV CONCLUSIONS........................................................................... 95 Summary of Findings..................................................... 95 Discussion of Findings ............................................. 97 Mass Media Consumption ........................................ 97 Factor Analysis of Television Program Exposure....................................................................... 99 Patterns of Television Program Exposure . 102 Alienation........................................................................106 Machiavellianism ..................................................... 106 Self-Esteem........................................................................107 Limitations............................................................................ 108 Survey Procedures ....................................................