Making Sense of Television: The Psychology of Audience Interpretation [Paperback]

Taking the soap opera as a case study, this book explores the 'parasocial interaction' people engage in with television programmes. It looks at the nature of the 'active viewer' and the role of the text in social psychology. It also investigates the existing theoretical models offered by social psychology and other discourses.
This second edition takes into account recent research work and theoretical developments in fields such as narrative psychology, social representation theory and ethnographic work on audiences, and look forward to the developing role of audience research. It will be an essential study for students and lecturers in social psychology and media studies.Taking the soap opera as a case study this book explores the way people engage with television. This new edition takes into account recent research work, theoretical developments and looks forward to the development of audience research.'The book provides extremely useful thoughts and approaches for media scholars an impressive book.' - European Journal of Communication, 15(1)Chapter 1 The Social Psychology of the Television Viewer; Chapter 2 The Active Viewer; Chapter 3 The Case of the Soap Opera; Chapter 4 The Role of the Text in Social Psychology; Chapter 5 The Resourceful Viewer; Chapter 6 Viewers Representations of Television Characters; Chapter 7 Divergent Interpretations of Television Soap Opera; Chapter 8 Audiences and Interpretations;US? 1990, 1998 by Sonia Livingstone