Search

Media psychologists commonly study how narrative elements (e.g. characters) influence entertainment and perceptions. Research on the sequencing and structure of these elements (i.e. metanarrative; the shape of the story) is less common. In both areas, morality tends to ground theorizing (e.g. disposition theory). To extend knowledge in these domains, we conceptualize and observe the effects of side-taking (i.e. choosing a side during conflict), a core concept in narratives and moral psychology. Dynamic coordination theory explains that side-taking is fundamental to morality because it signals moral judgment/condemnation. In a preregistered experiment (N = 577), we observed how the direction (i.e. siding with/against the protagonists or taking no side) and timing of side-taking (i.e. early, middle, or late in the story) influenced variables at multiple levels of analysis (i.e. micro-to-macro). Although timing did not produce effects, we found robust evidence that the direction of side-taking affected variables at all levels of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a three-act written narrative, a preregistered 2 (Act 1 Moral/Immoral Character Behavior) × 2 (Act 3 Moral/Immoral Character Behavior) × 2 (Positive/Negative Narrative Outcome) study provides a comprehensive test of affective disposition theory (ADT) that simultaneously manipulates disposition formation and outcome evaluation processes. We convert ADT's conceptual hypotheses into testable path models. Consistent with theory, we find (a) moral behavior creates positive dispositions which predict hopes for positive outcomes and (b) dispositions interact with outcomes to predict affect, liking of ending, and narrative enjoyment/appreciation. Consistent with Raney's ADT extension, participants wanted liked/moral characters to engage in immoral actions that increase the odds of a positive outcome for the character. Findings also indicate variance in ADT's predictive power: ADT better explained immediate responses (liking of ending) as compared to holistic responses (narrative enjoyment/appreciation). Our results contribute to work on enjoyment/appreciation by identifying areas where enjoyment and appreciation are more/less distinguishable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current manuscript presents a study that examines contextual factors that can explain two distinct types of viewer responses to death in narratives. Using procedures developed in past research, we explore why some narrative character deaths elicit poignant, eudaimonic responses while others elicit joyful, hedonic responses. We incorporate a control group to examine whether freely-recalled memorable deaths are more closely associated with feelings of meaning or pleasure. Results suggest that meaningful deaths lead to appreciation; befall liked, moral characters; and elicit mixed/negative affect, whereas pleasurable deaths lead to enjoyment; befall disliked, immoral characters, and elicit positive affect. In addition, freely-recalled character death is more closely aligned with meaningful death and its correlates than pleasurable death and its correlates. We conclude with a discussion of how the current findings can improve the use of mediated death in clinical settings, particularly as a strategy for approaching instances of disenfranchised grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How viewers form dispositions toward narrative characters is a central question of affective disposition theory. Two routes are explained by current models: Schema activation, whereby viewers' dispositions are based on perceived narrative role, and behavioral approbation, whereby viewers' dispositions are based on moral approval/disapproval of behavior. What remains unclear is how competing character schemas function: Do they exert their influence in the same location of the serial process? Or, does the impact of schemas on disposition formation depend on the schema? The current paper builds on past work that experimentally manipulated schema activation and behavioral approbation with experimental inductions. We extend that past work by crossing its hero/villain-schema induction with another: character gender. After validating stimuli in a pilot study, our main experiment demonstrated that gender did not moderate hero/villain-schema activation; behavioral approbation, however, was more extreme for female characters. Theoretical implications suggest that various character schemas may have distinct roles to play in disposition formation, with these distinctions being unaccounted for by current theory. Practical implications suggest that female characters may elicit stronger positive/negative dispositions and, through outcome evaluation processes, narrative enjoyment. Thus, Hollywood's current lack of female character representation is likely hurting their bottom line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective disposition theory suggests that viewers of narratives develop dispositions toward characters through various cues, including appearance and behavior. Despite its predictive utility, the theory has yet to account for an essential component of narratives: character interdependence. Extant models treat disposition formation toward individual characters as an independent process. In the current paper, we posit that affective dispositions formed toward one character (e.g., a protagonist) are interdependent with affective dispositions formed toward others (e.g., an antagonist). We present two experimental studies that provide evidence of character interdependence. We show that dispositions toward a single character account for unique variance in dispositions toward another, and that the same character can be perceived as highly moral or immoral, depending on a comparison character. In the discussion section, we integrate our character interdependence model with extant theories to generate novel predictions for affective disposition theory and other areas of research relevant to communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective disposition theory (ADT) and its extensions posit that character liking/disliking is based on viewer perceptions of character behaviors or the activation of character schemas that imply moral/immoral behaviors. This paper systematically examines whether events that happen to a character independent of their behavior also contribute to the development of character liking. Based on the modified affective disposition model (MADM), two studies were conducted where participants read a story introduction that manipulated whether a positive or negative event (described as egoistic need satisfaction/thwarting by the MADM) had befallen a character. In Study 1, the character was liked more when a negative economic event had befallen them and liked less when a positive economic event had befallen them as compared to a control condition. In Study 2, these effects were replicated. However, in Study 2 we also examined whether health-related events would elicit similar effects. Participants liked the character more regardless of whether a positive or negative health event befell her. These findings suggest unique contextual effects associated with which specific egoistic intuitions are satisfied or thwarted. As such they provide novel directions for research designed to test and specify the predictions of the MADM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of 9,068 films in terms of success, co-occurrence, release, and production. • Differences between genres that garner popularity (Action) and acclaim (Drama). • Four genre clusters identified based on specific themes within the data. • Examined increased, decreased, and consistent production across a 20-year span. • Differential release patterns for popular and acclaimed genres across the calendar year. Understanding macro-level trends in the entertainment industry is vital to the advancement of mass communication theories. The current paper works towards this end by providing a representative layout of genre patterns across the film industry. We analyze 9,068 films released from 1997 to 2017, and examine genre in terms of success, co-occurrence, release, and production. Consistent with past work, results highlight differences between genres that garner popularity (e.g., Action) and acclaim (e.g., Drama). Moreover, we found four unique genre clusters within our data indicating that specific genres tend to be featured together more frequently than others (e.g., Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy, and Musical). We also demonstrate which genres have had increased (e.g., Adventure), decreased (e.g., Comedy), and consistent (e.g., Thriller) production across the 20-year span. Finally, we found differential release patterns across the calendar year, such that popular genres (e.g., Science Fiction) are frequently released during Summer and acclaimed genres (e.g., Biography) are frequently released during Fall and Winter. Taken together, the findings describe the mass-market film landscape and demonstrate variance in the production and appeal of different genres over time. Thus, these data can serve as a first step toward studying how the entertainment industry influences and reacts to audiences' media preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuation is the process by which humans form their perceptions about others based on a variety of unique attributes of the person. Psychological research finds that personal details can individuate a person, especially when they are perceived as atypical for the social category. We apply this logic to affective disposition theory to determine whether character individuation can influence disposition formation. Two pilot studies validated the typicality and moral irrelevance of six pairs of character details. We then deployed these details in an experiment (N = 822) in which participants viewed a biography of a fictional U.S. Marine character. We manipulated the proportion of atypical character details included in the biography in a continuous fashion. Findings indicate a positive linear relationship between the manipulation and several character perception variables. Adding discriminant validity to the findings, we found a negative relationship between the manipulation and perceived realism. Our experimental design and analyses controlled for objective similarity of the character with the participant and the moral relevance of the character details. Thus, our results suggest character individuation is a unique and previously unidentified route of disposition formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parents submitted YouTube videos recently viewed by their children aged 0 to 8. • In-depth educational videos were rare, yet problematic depictions were common. • Parents reported that children experienced many positive responses from viewing. • Positive responses included feelings of joy and strengthened social bonds. • Some viewing patterns varied by age. Guided by uses and gratifications theory, the current project invited parents (N = 358) to submit YouTube videos (N = 973) recently viewed by their children aged 0 to 8. Parents rated each video for its perceived impact on their child, while coders evaluated each video for its content. Results indicated that in-depth educational lessons were rare in these videos, and potentially harmful depictions were common (e.g., physical aggression). Despite these issues, parents reported that these videos often evoked children's joy, fostered social bonding, and allowed children to explore niche interests. Some patterns varied by age, such that older (vs. younger) children viewed fewer educational videos, and they experienced fewer emotional gratifications from viewing. However, older children also viewed more videos with peers, and parents reported that those experiences facilitated peer bonding. Collectively, these findings replicate some concerning patterns found in previous research while also hinting at positive aspects of YouTube exposure that are neglected in discourse about children's experiences online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating predictions derived from the self-memory system and biographic resonance theory, the current project investigated the relationship between media-induced reminiscence and appreciation. In two experiments, undergraduates consumed popular entertainment from either their early adolescence or the present day. Study 1 (N = 406) featured music, and Study 2 (N = 405) featured movies. Both studies found that memory recall was more common in response to older (vs. recent) entertainment, and the memories activated by older entertainment were happier and produced more temporal comparisons. Although appreciation was higher for older entertainment in Study 1, this effect did not replicate in Study 2. However, both studies found that appreciation was higher for content that activated memories, especially memories that were more emotional and immersive. These patterns emerged regardless of when the content was released. These findings clarify why audiences sometimes perceive meaning in lighthearted entertainment, such as pop music or superhero films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two pre-registered studies, we leveraged recent advances to disposition theory to examine whether character judgments are relative. We used a Pilot Study to develop a moral continuum of behaviors for a hypothetical television series. We referenced our established moral continuum to create behavioral sequences that represented two characters descending into immorality. We manipulated whether one or both characters were present in the narrative. The simultaneous presence of both characters polarized participants' moral evaluations of character behavior, categorization of the characters as heroic/villainous, and character liking. Our findings substantiate the systematic effects that character interdependence has on disposition formation. An improved understanding of narrative context can specify when between- and within-character comparisons occur and what effects character interdependence has on disposition theory's processes. We discuss how narrative schemas, character schemas, and character networks can serve as the elements for explicating the role of narrative context in disposition theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both narrative theory and evolutionary psychology, equitable-retribution —or the idea that punishments for committing a moral transgression should be equivalent to the transgression itself—is a centerpiece of discussion. This article reports results from a blocked within-subjects experiment that examined speed of cognitive processing and subjective rating of three types of narrative retribution: equitable-retribution; under-retribution, where punishment is absent for a transgression; and over-retribution, where punishment exceeds the severity of the transgression. Results suggest that narrative endings depicting equitable-retribution are processed more quickly and liked more than endings with under-retribution and over-retribution. In addition, liking seems to correspond with enjoyment for equitable-retribution and over-retribution; for under-retribution, liking seems to correspond with appreciation. Discussion focuses on implications for theory and extending the current experimental paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Witnessing characters enact and receive punishment for transgressions – that is, narrative retribution – is central to affective disposition theory. Despite its centrality, a standardized set of retribution narratives is absent from the literature. The current study seeks to provide validation evidence for a set of retribution narratives used in a previous study. Based on theoretical conceptualizations of narrative retribution, we examined the validity of 15 narratives that include three different endings which vary the level of retribution in terms of under-retribution (i.e., forgiveness), equitable-retribution (i.e., tit-for-tat punishment), and over-retribution (i.e., punishment that exceeds the original transgression). Consistent with hypotheses, we show that the three endings fit (a) a positive linear trend with regard to the perceived severity of the retribution, (b) an inverted-U trend with regard to ending preference, (c) a positive linear trend with regard to anticipated enjoyment, and (d) a decreasing quadratic trend with regard to anticipated appreciation. We also link findings to trait variables identified by previous research, namely biological sex, punitiveness, vigilantism, media moral disengagement, and empathy. Findings suggest that three trait variables – vigilantism, empathy, and sex – are the most useful as potential moderators and should be considered first for inclusion in future studies. Findings also specify theoretical relationships of these variables to narrative retribution processes. Based on the evidence provided here and in earlier research, the 15 narratives with their alternative endings seem to be the best candidate for a standardized stimulus set for exploring the impact of narrative retribution on media psychology-relevant processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morality of observed others is a central variable for many media effects research areas, including affective disposition theory, social cognitive theory, and entertainment-education. A scale designed to measure five distinct aspects of the morality of characters is validated in a series of six studies (N = 1,204). Findings suggest that the extended character morality questionnaire (CMFQ-X) possesses adequate statistical validity as indicated through confirmatory factory analysis. In addition, the subscales show good internal consistency. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed through the measurement of other constructs. As expected, scores on the subscales of the CMFQ-X correlated substantially with related constructs and unsubstantially with unrelated constructs. Finally, the validity of a short-form version of the scale (CMFQ-S) for use in studies in which participant fatigue may be an issue is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]