AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE

AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE

Automatic exposure is based on the theory that people are often exposed to a media environment while doing other things.  Donohew, Nair, & Finn (1984): media users' cognitive

systems pay attention as needed, with attention levels varying over time. "Most media exposure is carried out in a nearly mindless state".  TV viewing, and radio use may be habitual or ritualistic.  For instance, this theory says that when you do homework with the radio on, you may selectively perceive songs and mentally "tune out" commercials.

Exposure to mass communication may not always be highly deliberate or purposeful. Many times people seem to be making their way through the mass communication environment while on a kind of “automatic pilot” (Donohew, Nair, & Finn, 1984). Common everyday examples of this phenomenon include people working at their desks with the radio on in the background, or washing dishes while also giving some attention to the television news.

The following description of the process of automatic exposure is drawn from Donohew, Nair, and Finn (1984). In general, the cognitive system may be ready at any given time to devote whatever amount of attention is appropriate to a given task. If there is attention that is left over, the system may use the leftover attention to daydream or solve problems. But if a change in the stimulus movement, color, loudness suggests that more attention may be appropriate, the system can switch very quickly to a more alert state in which it may use its full processing capacities. This view suggests that much use of mass communication might involve a low level of attention, and, in fact, might be appropriately labeled ritualistic or habitual. With this low level of attention operating, much of our selection of particular mass communication messages (the decision to read a particular news story, for instance) might be guided by very minor cues suggesting the pleasantness or unpleasantness of being exposed to a particular message.

The notion of automatic exposure reminds us that much selection of mass communication might not be for the purposes of reducing uncertainty, protecting our attitudes, or carrying out a type of surveillance function.

A great deal of exposure to mass communication is apparently carried out in a nearly mindless state, where the intention is to seek mildly pleasant stimuli, and past experience, with the same similar content becomes a strong determinant.