Media Exposure and Exemplar Accessibility

This study investigated the relation between television exposure and the ease with which individuals can retrieve examples of social events. Ninety-six college students were prompted to think of examples of constructs, some of which are frequently portrayed on television. Perceived ease of retrieving the examples and the source of the examples were measured. Media examples were more frequently recalled for events portrayed often in the media but infrequently experienced personally (e.g., courtroom trial, murder). Personal experiences were the most easily retrieved for events encountered frequently in real life, even when these events are also frequently portrayed on television (e.g., highway accidents, dates). Ease of retrieving media examples was related to hours of TV viewing, but only for viewing of television programs in which the events were common and when the direct experience with the events was likely to be low. Results are discussed with respect to media's influence on social judgment and heuristic processing.