What Does Psychology Know and Understand About the Psychological Effects of Reading Superhero Comic Books?: an Exploration Study
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WHAT DOES PSYCHOLOGY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF READING SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS?: AN EXPLORATION STUDY By PARKER T SHAW Bachelor of Science in Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2009 Master of Science in Educational Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2013 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY July, 2017 WHAT DOES PSYCHOLOGY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF READING SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS?: AN EXPLORATION STUDY Dissertation Approved: John Romans, Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Tonya Hammer, Ph.D. Dissertation Advisor Al Carlozzi, Ed.D. Committee Member Hugh Crethar, Ph.D. Committee Member Larry Mullins, Ph.D. Outside Committee Member ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am so very grateful for all those who sacrificed so that I may have this opportunity. Your sacrifice and support through these years has been so very special to me. I am thankful for my loving wife Katie and my darling daughter Penny Lane. You are my best accomplishments to date. I’m so blessed that you are here with me on this journey. Thank you to my wonderful parents for all the opportunities you gave me through your sacrifices. I hope to carry your legacy with grace. I would like to thank my committee for their guidance and support during this journey. It has been an honor to work alongside you all and learn. Lastly, thank you superheroes. Thank you for always being there. iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: Parker T Shaw Date of Degree: August 2017 Title of Study: WHAT DOES PSYCHOLOGY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF READING SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS?: AN EXPLORATION STUDY Major Field: EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, OPTION: COUNSELING PSYHOLOGY Abstract: Superheroes in comic books have been recently used in psychological interventions (e.g. Superhero Therapy, Geek Therapy, Comic Book Therapy, etc.). Previous research has placed focus on the effects of, the experiences of bibliotherapy, cinema therapy, video game effects or “media effects” among other forms of when used in psychological intervention. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of and experience of superhero comic books on mental health. The present study looks to gain understanding of the effect and experience of superhero comic books using qualitative phenomenology. Self-Determination Theory of motivation was used as a guide in interpreting the data. A sample size of 15 participants were selected and interviewed. Phenomenological thematic analysis yielded physiological & emotional reactions, nostalgia, source of coping, moral guidance, social utility, relating to characters, and building knowledge as common themes reported by participants. The essence of experiences or overall experience of participants who read superhero comic books was a form of psychological coping & escape. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 Bibliotherapy: Beginnings of Using Media in Therapy ...........................................2 Psychological Impact of Cinema & Cinema Therapy .............................................3 Video Game Research as a Model of Comic Research ...........................................4 Research for Superhero Comic Book Therapy ........................................................6 Aspects of Mental Health and Superheroes in Comics ............................................7 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................11 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................12 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................14 Research Questions ................................................................................................14 Research Design.....................................................................................................15 Setting and Selection..............................................................................................17 Participants .............................................................................................................18 Data Collection ......................................................................................................19 Interviews ...............................................................................................................20 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................21 Validity and Trustworthiness .................................................................................24 Ethical Considerations ...........................................................................................24 Researcher Reflexivity ...........................................................................................25 Summary ................................................................................................................26 RESULTS ....................................................................................................................27 Phenomenological Themes ....................................................................................28 Physiological and Emotional Reactions.................................................................28 Nostalgia ................................................................................................................30 Source of Coping ...................................................................................................31 Moral Guidance .....................................................................................................33 Social Utility ..........................................................................................................34 Relating to Characters ............................................................................................37 Building Knowledge ..............................................................................................40 DISCUSSION ..............................................................................................................43 Limitations .............................................................................................................45 Implications: Why This Matters! ...........................................................................46 Future Research .....................................................................................................48 Practice and Application ........................................................................................49 Summary ................................................................................................................51 v REFERENCES ............................................................................................................53 APPENDIX A: Extended Literature Review ...............................................................69 APPENDIX B: IRB Approval Form............................................................................90 APPENDIX C: Demographic Sheet & Interview Schedule ........................................95 APPENDIX D: Recruitment Flyer...............................................................................99 APPENDIX E: Participant Information & Informed Consent ...................................100 APPENDIX F: Participant Interviews .......................................................................104 vi INTRODUCTION WHAT DOES PSYCHOLOGY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF READING SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS?: AN EXPLORATION STUDY Positive appraisals of media objects, events, characters, stories, etc., can lead to positive feelings of happiness, whereas negative appraisals of media objects, events, characters, stories, etc., typically lead to negative feelings like sadness or stress. Branch and Wilson (2010) discuss the process of applying meaning to our perceptions. They state “meaning you attach to any sort of event influences the emotional responses you have to that event” (p.13); the way we interpret events has an effect on our psychological state/well-being. This gives rise to the importance of understanding the meanings people place on media objects when providing psychological intervention and treatment. Using forms of media has long been documented by mental health researchers, practitioners, educators, community service workers, etc., as having utility and producing beneficial effects in mental health treatment. For the past few decades, psychological research has attempted to explore and understand the relationship between and effects of pop culture on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals who follow or immerse themselves in cultural entertainment. The impact of pop culture media on our psychological states is termed media effects (Lee & Peng, 2006). Within psychological 1 research, forms of media have been described as television, movies, video games, websites/social forums, and books/printed media. Since the year 2000, thousands of publications have focused on media effects. Topics such as body image (Eyal, & Te’eni- Harari, 2013;