The Role of Personal Values and Demographics in Predicting Television Viewing Behavior: Implications for Theory and Application

TLDR

Path‑analytic studies show that the link between personal values and television viewing must be examined alongside demographic variables, as simple bivariate analyses can be misleading. This study examines how personal values influence television viewing when accounting for gender, age, income, and education, and discusses the implications for values research. Accounting for demographics weakens some value effects on viewing but uncovers significant value‑viewing relationships that were hidden in simpler models, offering insights for segmentation and targeting.

Abstract

Abstract Abstract This study investigates the influence of values on the particular behavior of television viewing, but within the context of other variables, specifically, the demographic variables of gender, age, income, and education. Using a path analytic framework, this study supports the position that the relationship of values to behaviors needs to be investigated in the context of other relevant variables; findings of studies investigating the simple bivariate relationships of values and behavior can be misleading. In this study, the inclusion of the direct relationships between demographics and behaviors in the model reduced some effects of values on television viewing to nonsignificance, but also revealed significant values—viewing relationships that had appeared to be nonsignificant when the direct effects of demographics were excluded from the model. Discussion addresses the implications of the model for values research and the relationship of values to television viewing behavior. Implications for segmentation and targeting are also discussed.