Overview

• Published in Acta Psychologica, the paper analyzes two studies using a combined sample of about 540 U.S. undergraduates.
• Consuming multiple TV episodes or longer reading sessions was tied to stronger memory for narratives and more retrospective imaginative involvement.
• Television showed the strongest links to later mental engagement, with binge-reading producing similar but smaller effects.
• Motivations such as boundary expansion and levels of enjoyment or appreciation shaped how people engaged, while stress showed mixed associations and more leisure time supported engagement.
• The authors emphasize limits including self-reported college samples and COVID-era data and note that prior research warns prolonged sitting during TV marathons can raise risks like venous thromboembolism.