This research represents an attempt to apply a functional understanding of human perception, evaluation, and behavior to the study of mediated narratives. By bringing together recent advances in the understanding of motivational processes from the field of social psychology and the traditional approach with which communication scholars have addressed the influence of active goals on media evaluation and selective exposure, I hope to establish a foundation upon which to advance communication research in this area. After reviewing relevant literature on implicit goal processes and the uses and gratifications and mood management paradigms (Chapter 1), I report on the results of an attempt to develop a suitable method for measuring implicit responses to the more complex message stimuli that are our stock in trade as communication researchers (Chapter 2). Finally, I report the results of a study which manipulated goal activation and measured evaluations and selections of goal-relevant entertainment options (Chapter 3) and conclude with a discussion of worthwhile directions in which to further advance this line of research (Chapter 4). 3