Towards a study of narrative media effects in cultural context.

2020

Following research evidence that suggests that the gratification derived from the consumption of sad content can be better explained by the experience of meaningful affect/feelings of being moved than by the experience of sadness, this research reconciled solutions to the paradox of pleasurable sadness from the media psychology literature with models of altruism from positive psychology, ethology, and behavioral economics. It is proposed that compassion incentivizes narrative engagement and that the gratification derived from the consumption of sad content follows an overall positive valuation of the somatic changes felt while engaged with a story. This research tested an association between experiencing feelings of compassion as a consequence of consuming sad content and engagement, between engagement and being moved, and between gratification and changes in the levels of salivary Interleukin 18 (IL-18) as a proxy for the activity of the μ-opioid receptors in the brain. Results suggested a strong and positive correlation between compassion, engagement, being moved, and gratification. Results from the physiological measures suggested a negative correlation between IL-18 and gratification that agrees with models of social motivation predicting that hypoactivity of the μ-opioid receptors results in a craving for social contact. Nevertheless, the low number of valid cases and questions about the reliability of the biomarker used demand a cautious interpretation of the association.

Emerging research on video games has suggested that feelings of both enjoyment and meaningfulness can be elicited from gameplay. Studies have shown enjoyment and meaningfulness evaluations to be associated with discrete elements of video games (ratings of gameplay and narrative, respectively), but have relied on closed-end data analysis. The current study analyzed participants’ open-ended reviews of either their ‘‘most fun’’ or ‘‘most meaningful’’ video game experience (N = 575, randomly assigned to either condition). Results demonstrated that ‘‘fun’’ games were explained in terms of gameplay mechanics, and ‘‘meaningful’’ games were explained in terms of connections with players and in-game characters.

Nordic Journal of Media Management, 2020

Purpose: As TV and digital video converge, there is a need to compare advertising effectiveness, advertising receptivity, and video consumption drivers in this new context. Considering the emerging viewing practices and underlying theories, this study examines the feasibility of the traditional notion of differentiating between lean-back (LB) and lean-forward (LF) media, and proposes a revised approach of addressing video consumption processes and associated advertising effectiveness implications. Methodology: An extensive, systematic literature review examines a total of 715 sources regarding current lean-back/lean-forward media research and alternative approaches as by (1) basic terminologies, (2) limitations of lean-back/lean-forward situations, (3) advertising effectiveness implications, (4) video-specific approaches. Findings/Contribution: Key differences between lean-back and lean-forward video consumption are presented. A conceptual integration of video ad receptivity/effectiveness drivers is proposed to guide future media and marketing research and practice. Video consumption today is no longer lean-back or lean-forward, but a "leaning spectrum" with two dimensions: leaning direction and leaning degree. Designing video content today requires focusing on consumption drivers and platform synergies for owning the "leaning spectrum".

We explore the effect of manifest sexual orientation and gender on the appreciation of lesbian narratives using a mixed-methods approach. Appreciation is a psychological response to narratives that prompts a profound perception of meaning or a motivation to create reflections or thoughts among audiences. We conducted a quantitative study that offered magnitudes of the effects of consumption, and a qualitative study to find explanations for them. Results from both studies were interpreted in a complementary, concurrent fashion. The investigation shows that sexual orientation affects magnitudes of appreciation while gender does not. Homosexuals appreciate these narratives more than heterosexuals. The study also revealed the key role played by personal relevance in the appreciation of these narratives. Our investigation provides further proof of the complementariness of both methods and the appropriateness of their combined use.

The present study expands on current theorizing about fandom by considering how communal involvement with popular media extends beyond pleasure and is more strongly associated with the search for meaning. Using the context of one of the most widespread media phenomena dominating popular culture—the Harry Potter franchise, results of an online questionnaire (N = 235) indicated that individual differences among fans (i.e., narrative exposure and eudaimonic motivation or the desire to seek meaning from entertainment) predicted involvement in fan communities. Further, perceived membership in fan communities enhanced enjoyment, appreciation, physiological reactions, knowledge acquisition, and intentions to seek fan-related materials. Implications for expanding entertainment scholarship in the study of meaningful media related to fandom and our understanding of contemporary forms of fandom in light of new technological affordances are discussed.

Research differentiates between hedonic and eudaimonic motivations to consume entertainment, as well as the resulting enjoyable and appreciative (or meaningful) experiences. To date, research has focused on hedonically motivated/enjoyable media; eudaimonically motivated/meaningful media experiences have received far less attention. The present study is exploring the role of spirituality in meaningful media experiences, differentiating the concept from religiousness or religiosity as well as from the most recent conceptualization of eudaimonia in media. Furthermore, effects on spiritual contemplation and attitude strengthening (i.e. narrative persuasion) from particular spiritual entertainment fare will be examined. The study will add to the existent scholarship of media entertainment and narrative persuasion as well as conceptualizations of eudaimonic (i.e. meaning seeking) media experiences, suggesting that spirituality should be considered as an additional dimension for the understanding of pensive media experiences.

Three studies are presented to validate the Spanish version of Oliver and eudaimonic and hedonic motivations scale. In Study 1, 132 university students watched a dramatic (sad) film, filling out the scales to evaluate motivations regarding cinema consumption and reception processes. Eudaimonic motivation was associated with deeper cognitive processes during the reception and stronger identification with the protagonist. Study 2 evaluated the test-retest reliability of the eudaimonic and hedonic motivations scale (n = 44). In Study 3 (n = 537), statistically significant age differences were observed in hedonic and eudaimonic motivations. Furthermore, convergent correlations were detected between hedonic and eudaimonic motivations and preferences of different film genres. These results allow us to conclude that the Spanish version of the hedonic and eudaimonic motivations scale presents adequate psychometric properties, thus being convergent with those obtained by Oliver and Raney.

From the humble wireframe graphics of Atari’s 1980 arcade hit, Battlezone, to the reality-bending, animated environment featured in Crytek’s 2011 blockbuster, Crysis 2, the digital gaming industry has consistently managed to leverage improvements in technology for improvements in gameplay. For this legacy to continue, game developers must better understand how to leverage stereoscopic 3D technology in the gaming experience. To do so, developers first must identify the unique effects of 3D technology on key aspects of the gaming experience. Without question, the gaming experience is multifaceted. In this study, we target key psychological and physiological phenomena impacted by stereoscopic technology: presence, engagement, immersion, arousal, and enjoyment. We examine these phenomena in both 3D and 2D users to effectively identify the unique qualities associated with “good” 3D games. Our goal is to better understand the ways that these key variables are differentially impacted by current gaming features. To that end, participants were randomly assigned to play Grand Turismo 5 in either 3D or 2D, with the various psychological processes associated with overall enjoyment of the gaming experience measured upon completion. Physiological measures of arousal and presence—heart rate and skin conductance—were also assessed. In our presentation, we will share the results of this experimental study. Further, we will situate these findings within the broader context of entertainment theory and will discuss how this burgeoning academic field can offer crucial insight into the lived experiences of 3D users. Armed with this greater understanding, content developers can craft games and other narratives offering the most enjoyable stereoscopic 3D user experience possible.