The Selective Exposure Self- and Affect-Management (SESAM) Model

The present contribution aims to advance discussion toward theoretical and methodological shifts in the field by tailoring a media-effects model to selective exposure research. The first section reviews earlier theorizing and highlights media exposure motivations, conceptualizations of media user characteristics, and methodology with an emphasis on exposure measures. The second section develops the Selective Exposure Self- and Affect-Management (SESAM) model, which is based on the selective exposure paradigm and addresses the roles of the self, affect, motivations, and time. The third section illustrates applications of the model with analyses involving messages about race, politics, and health.