An Expectancy-Value Analysis of the Student Soap Opera Audience

Soap operas constitute the most popular form of daytime television. Students are a large portion of the soap opera audience. The reasons for high student interest are unclear, however. The present investigation uses expectancy-value theory to untangle student perceptions of soap opera viewing, and it weaves these perceptions into the broader fabric of social psychological forces behind viewing levels. Among other things, the study indicates that desires for learning and romantic fantasy play little role in determining student exposure levels, whereas anticipated entertainment and social interaction are powerful expectations. Affective and cognitive factors mediate the effects of these expectations, however. Self-concept also plays a major role in determining exposure levels.