Glenn G. Sparks (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. His research interests focus on the cognitive and emotional effects of mass media. This manuscript was accepted for publication in January, 1997.

C. Leigh Nelson (M.A., Washington State University, 1991) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at Purdue University. Her research interests focus on the sociological and cognitive effects of the mass media.

Rose Campbell (M.S., Purdue University, 1993) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at Purdue University. Her research interests center on social factors contributing to wellness, and she is particularly interested in the influence of emotionally compelling messages on health promoting behavior.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico, May, 1995.

This paper seeks to continue exploration begun by Sparks, Hansen and Shah (1994) into the possible relationship between exposure to media messages and paranormal beliefs. It reports the results of a random-sample survey that revealed that exposure to particular programs that regularly depict paranormal activity is associated with an increased tendency to endorse paranormal beliefs. The fact that this association is found only for individuals who report no prior experience with paranormal phenomena may hold implications for cultivation theory's resonance hypothesis. Suggestions for future study in this area are recommended.