A Fatal Attraction: The Effect of TV Viewing on Smoking Initiation Among Young Women

This study explores whether there is a connection between TV viewing and the intention of young adult women to smoke and their ability to refuse smoking. Young adult women were defined as between 18 and 24 years of age (N = 156). Using Cultivation Theory as a framework, the researchers found that TV viewing positively predicts smoking intentions and negatively predicts the ability to refuse smoking. Accounting for smoking knowledge, current smoking behaviors, and other media use, TV viewing predicts smoking intentions. This suggests that TV viewing may be a powerful predictor of (a) smoking intentions and (b) the inability to refuse a cigarette in a peer pressure/social situation.