TY - JOUR
T1 - Predicting media appeal from instinctive moral values
AU - Tamborini, R.
AU - Eden, A.L.
AU - Bowman, N.D.
AU - Grizzard, M.
AU - Weber, R.
AU - Lewis, R.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Zillmann's moral sanction theory defines morality subcultures for entertainment as groups of media viewers who evaluate character actions with shared value systems. However, the theory provides no a priori means to identify these shared value systems. The model of intuitive morality and exemplars incorporates a theoretical framework for identifying and testing the factors from which these shared value systems emerge. This study applies the model's framework, based on 5 "moral domains" from moral foundations theory, to test the influence of shared value systems on character perceptions and narrative appeal. A within-subject experiment varied violation of these five domains (care, fairness, ingroup loyalty, authority, and purity) and narrative resolutions (positive or negative outcomes) in 10 short narrative scenarios. The 5 domains predicted character perceptions and narrative appeal. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of these domains for understanding the reciprocal relationship between audience values and media response. © 2013 Copyright Mass Communication & Society Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
AB - Zillmann's moral sanction theory defines morality subcultures for entertainment as groups of media viewers who evaluate character actions with shared value systems. However, the theory provides no a priori means to identify these shared value systems. The model of intuitive morality and exemplars incorporates a theoretical framework for identifying and testing the factors from which these shared value systems emerge. This study applies the model's framework, based on 5 "moral domains" from moral foundations theory, to test the influence of shared value systems on character perceptions and narrative appeal. A within-subject experiment varied violation of these five domains (care, fairness, ingroup loyalty, authority, and purity) and narrative resolutions (positive or negative outcomes) in 10 short narrative scenarios. The 5 domains predicted character perceptions and narrative appeal. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of these domains for understanding the reciprocal relationship between audience values and media response. © 2013 Copyright Mass Communication & Society Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
U2 - 10.1080/15205436.2012.703285
DO - 10.1080/15205436.2012.703285
M3 - Article
SN - 1520-5436
VL - 16
SP - 325
EP - 346
JO - Mass Communication and Society
JF - Mass Communication and Society
IS - 3
ER -