UNDERSTANDING TV NEWS CONSUMPTION PREFERENCES FROM A DUAL-SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE

Back to Page Authors: Imad Bou-Hamad, Dunia Harajli, Nadine Yehya

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Keywords: news consumption, dual-process theory, consumer behavior, decision-making

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Abstract: This study explores how the dual-process reasoning theory explains news consumption preferences, particularly for partisan viewers in a non-Western context. It investigates the connection between demographic and socio-cultural factors and the thought processing model of partisan viewers watching the news in a diverse polarized context. It specifically analyzes the information processing of 408 partisan Lebanese television viewers who prefer to watch the news on extreme partisan channels (EPCs) or moderate partisan channels (MPCs). The regression analysis reveals that education and religious affiliation of the viewers significantly predict their use of cognitive information processing mode. The study also presents four information processing modes ranging from System 1 (unconscious thought) to System 2 (controlled thought) for news consumption. This research has significant implications for media studies and consumer behavior research from a psychology and neuroscience perspective by highlighting how partisan viewers make decisions to consume news.

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