Television and Authoritarianism: Exploring the Concept of Mainstreaming

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Abstract
This article examines the relationship between television viewing and authoritarianism from the perspective of cultivation research. Earlier analyses of these data (Shanahan, 1995) showed "mainstreaming" patterns: Television viewing was associated with authoritarian attitudes. In this article, I explore the mainstreaming explanation more extensively, including questions about causality. The data presented below indicate that adolescents authoritarian leanings diminish as light television viewers grow older while heavy viewers maintain a high degree of authoritarianism. Heavy television viewing apparently retards political development.