How Co-Viewing Affects Attitudes: The Mediating Roles of Transportation and Identification

Communication scholars have long acknowledged that watching television is often done in the company of others. While previous research focused mainly on the impact of co-viewing on children’s behavior and their enjoyment of watching, the current research extends this work to determine the effect of co-viewing on the actual viewing experience of adults, specifically, on transportation and identification. Furthermore, the study examines the role of these processes as mediators leading to changes in attitude. Study 1 demonstrates the impact of the co-viewer’s enthusiasm on transportation and identification. Study 2 demonstrates the impact of the co-viewer’s gender on transportation and identification. These processes, in turn, mediate the effect of co-viewing on attitude changes. The findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical contributions.