1. Conceptualizing and Measuring Character Depth.
- Author
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Frazer, Rebecca, Grizzard, Matthew, and Moyer-Gusé, Emily
- Subjects
- *
CONFIRMATORY factor analysis , *TEST validity , *BATHYMETRY , *WORK measurement , *MODELS & modelmaking - Abstract
Perceived character depth is a concept relevant for understanding and predicting audience responses to narrative media, yet it has been largely unexplored in the field of media psychology. Through a careful review of diverse literatures, the current work offers a formal conceptualization of character depth as the extent to which a character’s exposition evokes a detailed and multi-faceted mental conception of a character’s psyche, behavior, and experience. This work then devises a measurement scale and presents a series of experimental studies designed to test the scale’s validity. Study 1 uses a known-groups approach and confirmatory factor analysis to test the predictive validity and measurement model of a 20-item proposed perceived character depth scale. Selective item retention results in a 6-item scale with excellent model fit. Studies 2, 3, and 4 lend additional support to the validity of this 6-item scale’s measurement model through tests of the scale in three different narrative contexts, all of which result in good model fit. Across Studies 1–4, evidence emerges of the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale in relation to other character perception variables. Future research directions related to the application of the current character depth conceptualization and measurement scale are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...
- Published
- 2025
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