The Impact of Protagonist Motivations and Key Story Moments on Real-Time Audience Identification and Liking
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Creating and Maintaining Identification with Characters in Narrative Films: The Impact of Protagonist Motivations and Key Story Moments on Real-Time Audience Identification and Liking DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By John Martin Tchernev, M.A. Graduate Program in Communication The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Professor Michael D. Slater, co-Advisor Professor Zheng Wang, co-Advisor Professor Emily Moyer-Gusé Copyrighted by John Martin Tchernev 2015 Abstract Audience identification with a protagonist is perhaps the single most important determinant of audience engagement with a narrative. However, much is unknown about how or why some narratives are more effective than others at creating identification. The aim of the present research is to incorporate applied knowledge from the professional field of screenwriting and knowledge from research and theory in psychology and communication into an overarching framework for understanding audience identification. Particular emphasis is placed upon psychological theories of motivation, character liking, and screenwriting guidelines regarding character motivation and story structure, as predictors of dynamic fluctuations in audience identification. Three films were randomly selected from a list of U.S. releases in recent years. Three professional screenwriters coded the films and identified key moments in the first 40 minutes of each film that were of particular importance in screenplay structure and for establishing character motivation and liking. N = 308 participants were randomly assigned to view the first 40 minutes of a film and provide real-time ratings of feelings of either liking or identification. Results indicated that certain key moments do indeed have a major impact on shaping identification and liking in real time. ii Dedication To Sarah, for your unwavering support, humor, and love iii Acknowledgments I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my faculty mentors: Michael Slater, Zheng Wang, Emily Moyer-Gusé, and Lance Holbert. I have learned an immeasurable amount from working with each of you over the past six years, and I have been fortunate enough to benefit from your wisdom, your encouragement, and your generosity. On a personal note, you helped me through a truly preposterous series of difficult life events, and I am certain that it would have been impossible for me to complete my graduate work if it weren’t for your unwavering support, kindness, and understanding. Your unrelenting excellence in every facet of your career has been and will continue to be a source of inspiration for me. I would also like to express my enormous gratitude to the following people for their assistance: Bryan Wang, Daniel Rospert, Marissa Moore, Matthew Bradford, Michael Russo, Joseph Szymczak, Peter Berndt, and Rachel Ralston. I would also like to thank The Ohio State University and the School of Communication for their support, for the unparalleled resources they provide, and for the opportunity to be part of such an extraordinary community. iv Vita June 2001 .......................................................B.S. Radio/TV/Film, Northwestern University 2005 to 2009 ..................................................Professional Screenwriter 2009 to present ...............................................Graduate Teaching/Research Associate, School of Communication, The Ohio State University 2009, 2014 .....................................................Two Year Distinguished University Fellowship, Social & Behavioral Sciences, The Ohio State University Publications Holbert, R.L., & Tchernev, J. (2014). Satire news. In S. Attardo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Humor Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Pingree, R., Quenette, A., Tchernev, J. & Dickinson, T. (2013) Effects of media criticism on gatekeeping trust and implications for agenda setting. Journal of Communication, 63(2), 351-372. doi: 10.1111/jcom.12016 Holbert, R. L., & Tchernev, J. (2013). Media influence as persuasion. In J. P. Dillard & L. Shen (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of persuasion: Developments in theory and practice (2nd ed., pp. 36-52). 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Journal of Communication, 62(3), 493-513. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01641.x Fields of Study Major Field: Communication vi Table of Contents Abstract................................................................................................................................ii Dedication...........................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................iv Vita.......................................................................................................................................v List of Tables....................................................................................................................viii List of Figures.....................................................................................................................ix Introduction..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Identification with Characters in Narratives........................................................3 Chapter 2: Are There Universal Human Motivations?.......................................................13 Chapter 3: The Workings of Narrative................................................................................23 Chapter 4: Method..............................................................................................................64 Chapter 5: Analysis and Results.........................................................................................73 Chapter 6: Discussion........................................................................................................94 References........................................................................................................................107 Appendix A: Tables & Figures.........................................................................................119 vii List of Tables Table 1: List of the top five books on the topic of Screenwriting…………………......119 Table 2: Summary of key moments in films examined in this research…………….....120 Table 3: Comparison of hero’s goals in screenwriting, ERG needs, and relevant screenplay moments, organized by level of abstraction………………….......121 Table 4: Details of the three films used in the present study…………………………..122 Table 5: Impact of Existence, Relatedness, and Growth Needs..………………….......123 Table 6: Impact of the Hero’s Goals on Real-Time Identification and Liking...............124 Table 7: Impact of Key Moments in Screenplay Structure on Real-Time Identification and Liking......................................................................................125 Table 8: Effect Sizes of Key Story Moments..................................................................126 Table 9: VAR Model for Identification and Liking during The Italian Job....................127 Table 10: VAR Model for Identification and Liking during Rise of the Planet of the Apes................................................................................................128 Table 11: VAR Model for Identification and Liking during Rio.....................................129 Table 12: Shared Values as Predictors of Liking and Identification...............................130 Table 13: Between-Subject Variance During Key Story Moments.................................131 viii List of Figures Figure 1: Effect of Unconscious Need on Identification……………………….......….132 Figure 2: The Differential Impact of Establishment of Protagonist’s Growth Need on Identification, by Personal Relevance of Growth Motivations............................133 Figure 3: Mean Ratings of Identification and Liking over Time for The Italian Job.....134 Figure 4: Mean Ratings of Identification and Liking over Time for Rio........................135 Figure 5: Mean Ratings of Identification and Liking over Time for Rise of the Planet of the Apes................................................................................................136