Psychological distress, perceived social support, and television viewing for reasons of companionship: A test of the compensation hypothesis in a population of crime victims
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Jurgen Minnebo
Abstract
Becoming a crime victim is often associated with the development of psychological distress symptoms. In turn, these symptoms have been found to be related to a decrease in perceived social support by the victim. From a uses and gratifications point of view, the increase in distress and the decrease in perceived social support could well affect a victim’s television use. Furthermore, the compensation hypothesis (Davis and Kraus, 1989) proposes that people with little social contact use mass media to compensate for social isolation. It could therefore be hypothesized that increased use of television for reasons of companionship is related to higher levels of psychological distress and lower levels of perceived social support. The present study used a structural equation model to test this hypothesis. The sample consisted of 212 Flemish victims of crime. The results confirm the proposed relationships and hypotheses. Directions for future research are discussed.
© Walter de Gruyter
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves: A cross-cultural study of five English-speaking versions of a British quiz show format
- The situational and time-varying context of routines in television viewing: An event history analysis
- The gendered relationship between journalism and public relations in Austria and Germany. A feminist approach
- Bridging or bonding? Relationships between integration and media use among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands
- Psychological distress, perceived social support, and television viewing for reasons of companionship: A test of the compensation hypothesis in a population of crime victims
- Marginality in the information age: Is the gender gap really diminishing?
- Book Reviews