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Abstract

Previous research and theory have focused on nonstrategic explanations for attentional inertia phenomena in television viewing (that looks become more stable and reflect greater cognitive engagement as they get longer). However, varying relatedness of episodes, for which strategic inertial processes should vary in strength, produces a corresponding difference in inertia of looks crossing those boundaries. Although an additive model would suggest that all these within-narrative boundaries should show stronger relationships than at unrelated-content boundaries, this was not the case. It may thus be that results previously interpreted as reflecting nonstrategic processes instead result from strategic processes not before considered.

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Strategic and Nonstrategic Explanations for Attentional Inertia

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