This research examines the effect of different ways of presenting news events upon viewers' comprehension and political understanding of those events. Three experiments are undertaken. The first presents different groups of subjects with news broadcasts that include different types of explanations for the same events. This is followed by a measurement of the complexity of the subjects' thinking about the events, particularly with respect to the number of different perspectives on the issue that the individuals are able to consider. The second study examines the extent to which the dramatic presentation of news events is emotionally arousing and whether this arousal limits the viewers' comprehension of the news stories. The final experiment examines the effect of the presentation of violence on the news and the effect such portrayals have on the viewers' comprehension and recall of the facts in the stories. The results of these studies will contribute to scientific knowledge in general through an examination of the effects on individuals' thinking of viewing different messages in the mass media. These studies should also contribute to social scientific understanding in particular by examining the operation of different social cognition processes in the context of media viewing. Different political constructs, such as "fanatic" or "oppressed minority" imply very different causal explanations for events. Making different constructs salient will likely have a significant impact on the way in which individuals think about different political events. These experiments contribute to an understanding of the way in which language influences individuals' understanding of the operation of the political world. The results of this research should also make a substantial contribution to increased understanding of the effects of mass media on the public's perception of political events. The mass media are an increasingly important part of the way in which citizens acquire knowledge about public affairs. If the manner of presentation of news events actually inhibits individuals' comprehension of those events, then steps could be taken to change the media's style and content.
