Narrative Persuasion in a New Media Environment: The Impact of Binge-Watching and Second-Screening

The study explored the role of second-screen use and binge-watching in moderating entertainment education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest experiment of 273 viewers of East Los High measured the effects of exposure to three subplots, concerning alcohol abuse, abortion, and immigration. The effect of identification with characters on change in attitudes was significantly moderated by second-screen use and binge-watching. In particular, second-screening tended to enhance the positive impact of identification; whereas, among respondents who binge-watched the show, the effects of identification were weaker.     

Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Speaking Anxiety

This study examines the relations among the perception of speaking anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation with 2 measures of physiological activity: heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). Results show significant changes in HR and state anxiety, but not HRV, among the 6 experimental conditions: quiet, reading in both sitting and standing positions, and speaking in both sitting and standing positions. HRV significantly and negatively correlated with difficulties in emotion regulation and HR, but not with public speaking apprehension (PSA) scores or state anxiety ratings. PSA scores, however, were significantly and positively correlated with state anxiety ratings. Results are interpreted in terms of the simultaneous, coordinated operation of physical reactions and emotional coping strategies.     

Narrative Persuasion 2.0: Transportation in Participatory Websites

This research applies narrative persuasion theory to participatory websites. Specifically, the study examines the joint effect of online review structure (narrative/nonnarrative) and source attributes (expert/nonexpert) on attitude strength (attitude certainty and intensity). Results demonstrate that source attributes moderate the relationship between transportation and attitude intensity but not attitude certainty. These findings advance transportation theory by illuminating that readers glean source attributes on participatory websites, and these attributes modify transportation effects. The findings offer implications for participatory websites and design features that may facilitate or hinder readers in their quest to make decisions based on the reviews they read.     

Social Media Followership as a Predictor of News Website Traffic

ABSTRACT

News organizations increasingly focus their efforts to boost traffic on their websites to grow their share of online advertising. We investigated the relationship between news websites’ traffic ranking and their social media tools of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google Plus. For a year we monitored the followers of all Greek regional newspapers in relation to the traffic on their websites. We continued monitoring for a second year to validate the robustness of the findings and we hereby present results for 86 weeks. Statistical analysis leads to the conclusion that the number of social media subscribers can predict the competitive position of a newspaper in the market based on its website traffic. The effect lasts for a limited period of time, one to three weeks, depending on the specific medium. Importantly, results indicate the potential of developing a prediction model of the website’s traffic, based on the social media metrics of the organization, as a useful tool to increase traffic and revenues from online advertising.     

Investigating Suspense as a Predictor of Enjoyment in Sports Video Games

This study investigated suspense as a predictor of sports video game enjoyment by including the variable as a key part of a working model that also included presence, fanship, disposition, skill, and outcome. Results of a path analysis indicate a complex network of relationships impacting enjoyment. Suspense strongly impacted presence, which was an important determinant of enjoyment, while skill and outcome also explained a large portion of variance in enjoyment. The study highlights the complexity of the enjoyment experience as it relates to video games, and provides direction for future work on a theoretical model of video game enjoyment.     

Reconceptualizing and Reexamining Suspense as a Predictor of Mediated Sports Enjoyment

Suspense is a driving force behind media entertainment consumption. However, previous explorations of the role of suspense in the enjoyment of mediated sports have not fully relied upon the richness of research from other genres. The current study seeks to correct this oversight by using the lens of fictional drama to reconceptualize and reexamine suspense as a factor in the enjoyment of sports programming. A total of 161 participants viewed and rated 1 of 7 men's basketball games. The results suggest that a measure of the unfolding nature of suspense is a stronger predictor of mediated sports enjoyment than those used previously.     

Narrative Transportation in Radio Advertising: A Study of the Effects of Dispositional Traits on Mental Transportation

This study examined the impact of 3 individual traits—namely need for cognition, vivid mental imagery ability, and transportability—on one's psychological transportation and ensuing belief change subsequent to listening to a narrative radio advertisement. The study demonstrated that both vivid mental imagery ability and transportability tend to significantly influence one's degree of transportedness. Moreover, the study showed that a higher degree of transportedness leads to a more potent persuasive impact on one's affective and conative responses to narrative radio advertising.     

Conceptualizing Visual Detail: Message Structure as a Predictor of Preferential Processing

The research reported here integrates traditions of cognitive information processing and visual communication research by offering a new conceptual definition of item centrality and a methodological tool for measuring it. Using developments in information processing research about effects of visual production features on attention and memory, this article advances the proposition that these features influence the perception of some objects as central or peripheral to the information presented in a specific visual scene. These structural features were combined here to develop and test a structural indicator of item centrality. The results show that such elements as size, proximity to other objects, brightness, motion, contrast, and position on screen account for a great deal of judgment-driven evaluations about objects’ centrality. Moreover, the central and peripheral details identified using the structure-based measure replicated the same pattern of results produced in studies using a judgment-based definition. These findings suggest that structural features associated with an object are valid predictors of whether the object is perceived as central or whether it is perceived as peripheral.     

Television Spoilers Recast as Narrative Teasers

This article analyzes online qualitative survey responses from 43 television time shifters who knew narrative content (spoilers) about a particular show before they decided to watch. Twenty of the study participants cited narrative content and/or their spoiler sources as the reason they chose to watch. We ultimately argue that television spoilers can function as teasers, leading would-be viewers to enjoyable shows. In doing so, we expand the definition of spoiler, offering insight into how spoilers can create rather than ruin opportunities for narrative pleasure.     

作为当代大众文化叙事的中国电视

历经了50年发展的中国电视,作为当今最具影响力的大众叙事文化形式,在商业文化、主流文化与精英文化兼容并包的形态当中,表现出特有的雅俗并举、传统与时尚并存以及寓教于乐的二元文化价值取向.只有在一种不可避免的审美化的趋势下,坚持电视文化叙事的人本化立场,当今的中国电视才有可能避免成为单一的政治的"传声筒",或者在激烈的市场竞争中避免走上一味媚俗的歧途.     

Binge-Watching and Psychological Well-Being: Media Use Between Lack of Control and Perceived Autonomy

Binge-watching—the intensive, consecutive viewing of televised series—has become a prevalent usage pattern of entertainment media, which may influence users’ psychological well-being both positively and negatively: On the one hand, binge-watching could increase viewers’ enjoyment, recovery experiences, and vitality through an increase in perceived autonomy. On the other hand, binge-watching can trigger goal conflicts and feelings of guilt, which may reduce well-being. Drawing on an online survey (N = 499), the present study examines the tension between these two mechanisms and their effects on users’ well-being. The data largely support the hypotheses: Binge-watching is perceived as recreational as long as goal conflicts and feelings of guilt can be avoided. Well-being, on the other hand, is positively affected by binge-watching-induced increases in perceived autonomy. These results corroborate the central role of self-determination as a link between media reception, media enjoyment, and psychological well-being.     

Interpersonal Communication Motives as a Predictor of Early and Middle Adulthood Siblings' Use of Relational Maintenance Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to examine whether early and middle adulthood siblings' use of relational maintenance behaviors (i.e., positivity, openness, assurances, networks, tasks) is predicted, after controlling for relational closeness, by their interpersonal communication motives (i.e., affection, inclusion, control, pleasure, relaxation, escape). Participants were 122 individuals who reported on their relationship with a sibling. Results indicated that for the positivity relational maintenance behavior, psychological closeness, the affection motive, and the control motive were significant contributors; for the openness, assurances, and tasks relational maintenance behaviors, psychological closeness and the affection motive were significant contributors; and for the networks relational maintenance behavior, psychological closeness was a significant contributor.     

Perceptions of Health Care Professionals' Credibility as a Predictor of Patients' Satisfaction with their Medical Care and Physician

The purpose of this study was to examine how patients' perceptions of source credibility related to their satisfaction with the quality of medical care they received and satisfaction with their physician. Patients' perceptions of the competence and caring dimensions of source credibility were analyzed for physicians, nurses, and support staff members. Three hypotheses were proposed and supported. Results indicated that higher perceptions of competence and caring for each member of the medical team were related to more patient satisfaction. This paper discusses the importance of the doctor-patient, nurse-patient, and support staff-patient relationships in light of the findings.     

媒介融合与叙事迁移——当下中国电影批评媒介环境分析

电影的场域是一个极为复杂的动力系统,任何一个关系变量都可能改变甚至颠覆电影的发展态势.新媒体技术的日新月异对于当下电影产业形态的冲击更是革命性的,它不仅在技术和传播层面上改变了电影的生产实践模式,而且也对电影批评的叙事文本进行了解构和重构,并赋予其批评的超文本特性.算法的崛起和优化更是拓展了电影评价的内涵.     

跨媒体叙事理论观照下的档案叙事优化策略——以红色档案为例的分析

借助跨媒体叙事有助于提升档案馆利用红色档案讲好中国故事的能力.通过文献研究分析跨媒体叙事理论在叙事主体、叙事客体、叙事过程方面融入档案叙事的可行性,以案例分析法梳理红色档案叙事当中档案机构在拓展媒介平台、延展叙事空间、活用语言技巧等方面的现有行动.在此基础上提出跨媒体叙事理论观照下的红色档案叙事优化策略:组织核心价值内容,搭建多元媒体矩阵,把握精准表达层次,保持连续文本,协调连续文本结构.     

叙事传输视角下红色档案资源社会共建模式与实现路径研究

红色档案资源见证了党和人民艰苦奋斗的光辉历程,是传承红色文化基因、延续红色文脉的精神财富。红色档案资源的选择、采集、组织、存储、管理和利用的实践活动催生了馆藏实体资源建设模式和红色档案数字资源建设模式。本文依据叙事传输理论,在总结和反思这两种模式的基础上,从主体层、资源层、活动层、呈现层构建了以馆藏机构为主导,研究机构、社会公众、第三方机构共同参与,以红色档案资源的组织与呈现为中心旨趣的红色档案资源社会共建模式,并从建立协调机制、完善法规标准、审核叙事成果、重构叙事表达四个方面探索该模式的实现路径。     

Using critical thinking as a basis for library user education

The article focuses on the critical examination of information in rewriting an undergraduate course of bibliographic instruction. By learning to ask questions, by learning from each other, by thinking critically and by taking responsibility for their own learning, students become effective and confident information users.     

The Viability of Using Rapid Judgments as a Method of Deception Detection

Rapid Judgments (RJs) are quick assessments based on indirect verbal and nonverbal cues that are known to be associated with deception. RJs are advantageous because they eliminate the need for expensive detection equipment and only require minimal training for coders with relatively accurate judgments. Results of testing on two different datasets showed that trained coders were reliably making RJs after watching both long and short interaction segments but their judgments were not more accurate than the expert interviewers. The RJs did not discriminate between truth and deception as hypothesized. This raises more questions about the conditions under which making RJs from verbal and nonverbal cues achieves accurate detection of veracity.