Information seeking and emotional reactions to the September 11 terrorist attacks

Michael P. Boyle; Mike Schmierbach; Cory L. Armstrong; Douglas M. McLeod; Dhavan V. Shah; Zhongdang Pan

doi:10.1177/107769900408100111

Information seeking and emotional reactions to the September 11 terrorist attacks

Michael P. Boyle, Mike Schmierbach, Cory L. Armstrong, Douglas M. McLeod, Dhavan V. Shah, Zhongdang Pan

Film-Video and Media Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

106 Scopus citations

Abstract

Based on uncertainty reduction theory, this paper argues that individuals were motivated to seek information and learn about the September 11 terrorist attacks to reduce uncertainty about what happened. Results from a panel survey indicate that negative emotional response was a strong predictor of efforts to learn. Analyses also show that relative increases in newspaper, television, and Internet use from Wave 1 to Wave 2 were positively related to efforts to learn about the attacks. The findings extend uncertainty reduction theory to the mass media context thereby contributing to our understanding of uses and gratifications.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	155-167
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
Volume	81
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/107769900408100111
State	Published - 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Communication

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1177/107769900408100111

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AU - Pan, Zhongdang

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Information seeking and emotional reactions to the September 11 terrorist attacks

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

UN SDGs

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