Effects of U.S. Television Programs on Foreign Audiences: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

A number of studies have investigated the impact of U.S. television programs on foreign audiences. A meta-analysis of these studies reveals a small, but statistically significant, association between exposure to U.S. entertainment programs and attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of foreign audiences. When taking study characteristics into consideration, only language of the questionnaire produced a significant difference in correlation size, with studies using English questionnaires displaying a larger effect. Also, contrary to the assumptions of a uniform effects model, the findings indicate that the magnitude of the relationship depends upon the type of dependent measure.