Applying the Stimulus Organism Response Model in Health Communication: Evidence from Television Talk Shows

https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=4822638

ABSTRACT

This study examines the effect of exposure to television health talk shows on healthy lifestyle changes using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework. A quantitative explanatory approach was employed, involving 86 stroke survivors from a rehabilitation community. Media exposure was operationalized through four dimensions: frequency, duration, attention, and message comprehension, while healthy lifestyle change was measured through diet, physical activity, medical adherence, and stress management. Data were analyzed using linear regression. The findings reveal that media exposure has a significant effect on healthy lifestyle change, with an explanatory power of 65.9%. Among the exposure dimensions, message comprehension and attention were identified as the most dominant predictors, indicating that qualitative aspects of media interaction are more influential than quantitative aspects. The results support the S–O–R model by confirming that behavioral change is mediated through cognitive processing rather than direct exposure. This study highlights the continued relevance of television as an effective medium for health communication.

KEYWORDS:

Healthy Lifestyle; Health Communication; Media Exposure; S–O–R Model; Television Talk Show

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Cite this Article:Rendi, Satria W, P., & Sidharta, V. (2026). Applying the Stimulus Organism Response Model in Health Communication: Evidence from Television Talk Shows. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 9(4), 2888-2895. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v9-i4-41

Volume 09 Issue 04 April 2026