Transporting the binge-watching television audiences : a look at the effects of genre schema and narrative relevance on the flow experience

This study proposes flow construct in binge watching is defined in terms of the experience (i.e. media enjoyment and high narrative transportation), structural properties of the flow activity (viewing plan, the interactivity with the video streaming services), and the antecedents of flow such as preexisting genre schema. Using an online survey, this study finds that (a) preexisting genre schema is significantly and positively related to flow experience in binge watching, (b) there is a significant interaction between preexisting genre schema and perceived realism to predict binge watchers’ flow experience, and (c) when binge watchers’ have higher perceptions of reality of narrative content, the flow experience varies, whereas when the binge watchers have low or medium perceived realism, the flow experience doesn’t vary. Theoretical and practical implications are discussedAdvertisin

Binge‐watching: development and validation of the Binge‐Watching Addiction Questionnaire

The approach to the vision of TV series has deeply changed in the last years, and watching multiple episodes of TV content in a single session becomes a popular viewing pattern referred as binge‐watching. Early studies defined binge‐watching as a potentially addictive behavior showing characteristics similar to other behavioral addictions, such as loss of control and pleasure anticipation. This study aims to validate a short self‐report questionnaire focused on assessing binge‐watching behavior and determining whether it shows characteristics similar to addictive behavior, the Binge‐Watching Addiction Questionnaire (BWAQ). An online survey was adopted to administer the questionnaire in the general population (N = 1277). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses assessed both the validity and the structure of the scale in two independent samples. The statistical analyses confirmed a four‐factor model (i.e., “Craving”, “Dependency”, “Anticipation”, “Avoidance”) of the BWAQ with good psychometric properties. The BWAQ can differentiate between people who adopt maladaptive watching activities from those who use TVseries as leisure and entertainment activities. Therefore, this questionnaire may enable researchers to improve this emerging field of research significantly

The Influence of perspective and gender on the processing of narratives

The overarching aim of this research was to examine potential boundary conditions to situation model construction (Experiment 1) and narrative-based persuasion (Experiment 3). Variables such as narrative perspective (i.e., 2nd or 3rd person) and matched characteristics with the reader (i.e., participant-protagonist gender match) were first examined using situation model updating (Experiment 1) and behavioral measures (Experiment 3) as dependent measures. It was expected that situation model updating would be more likely for narratives written in the 2nd person perspective and with a participant-protagonist gender match. It was uncertain, however, for health promotion narratives, whether these manipulations would increase the likelihood that readers would be persuaded by a story and take informative pamphlets and coupons for samples of sunscreen. The findings of Experiment 1 did not reveal greater situation model updating for 2nd person matched narratives. Further examination of the stimuli used in the first experiment (Experiment 2) suggested that, relative to past research, while there was greater interest in the stories, there was less imaginability (i.e., picturing oneself as the protagonist). This pattern suggests that while interest in the story content may engage readers for a 3rd person perspective (i.e., he or she), other factors are necessary for engagement for a 2nd person perspective (i.e., you). For example, in the latter perspective, it may be that readers must relate to a character\u27s behavior through actual personal experience before being able to imagine themselves in the story. These insights were applied to the tailoring of a health narrative concerning melanoma and the use of sunscreen in Experiment 3. Participants in Experiment 3 showed a greater likelihood of information seeking and behavioral intentions (e.g., taking pamphlets and coupons for sunscreen) for the 2nd person perspective regardless of whether there was a participant-protagonist gender match

The Netflix Effect: Examining the Influence of Contemporary Entertainment Media Consumption Patterns on Political Attitudes and Social Perceptions

In the past two decades, media consumption has changed not only in terms of breadth and amount, but also in terms of availability and accessibility. Shows that once could only be viewed at their scheduled time on their scheduled network may now be streamed across several platforms at almost any time. Further, audiences have begun to connect with characters beyond the shows and films they inhabit, building websites, following related social media pages, recording podcasts and more to continue and expand these parasocial relationships. The social scientific community has only begun to scratch the surface of how these changes affect audience members and society at large—particularly regarding the political impact of entertainment media. Through focus groups, a survey experiment, media content analysis, and a laboratory experiment, I explore the impact of entertainment television media on political attitudes and social perceptions within the context of contemporary media consumption patterns. In particular, I examine the efficacy of narrative persuasion and mediated intergroup contact within the context of single exposure, accumulated exposure to outgroup members, and binge watching. I find that mediated intergroup contact appears to have a much stronger impact on audience members than narrative persuasion, regardless of exposure amount. I also find that binge watching episodic shows—watching multiple episodes back-to-back in one sitting—leads to different media effects on political attitudes and social perceptions in viewers than watching the same episodes in the traditional weekly format. Overall, my findings suggest that contemporary consumption patterns of entertainment media render it less influential in terms of narrative persuasion of political attitudes, but the regular consumption of entertainment media may still have lasting effects from mediated intergroup contact regardless of whether the contact is positive or negative

Exposure to Televised Alcohol Ads and Subsequent Adolescent Alcohol Use

Objective: To assess the impact of televised alcohol commercials on adolescents, alcohol use. Methods: Adolescents completed questionnaires about alcohol commercials and alcohol use in a prospective study. Results: A one standard deviation increase in viewing television programs containing alcohol commercials in seventh grade was associated with an excess risk of beer use (44%}, wine/liquor use (34%}, and 3-drlnk episodes (26%} in eighth grade. The strength of associations varied across exposure measures and was most consistent for beer. Conclusions: Although replication is warranted, results showed that exposure was associated with an increased risk of subsequent beer consumption and possibly other consumption variables

How Real is Reality? : An Examination of Perceived Realism and Permissive Sexual Attitudes in Relation to Reality Dating Shows

This study investigated whether exposure to reality dating shows shaped participants’ perceptions of reality and permissive sexual attitudes, with the incorporation of more recent reality dating shows. A sample of 156 college-aged students participated in an online survey. Gender predicted the amount of exposure to reality dating shows, with females watching more than males. Heavy exposure was not a predictor of permissive sexual attitudes. Heavy exposure did predict how realistic the viewers perceived the reality dating shows to be. However, perceived realism was not related to permissive sexual attitudes. Perceived realism also did not play a moderating or mediating role in the relationship between permissive sexual attitudes and exposure to reality dating shows. This study provided limited support for Cultivation Theory and challenged previous research in this area

Towards a Video Consumer Leaning Spectrum: A Medium-Centric Approach

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”

One more episode won’t hurt! How stress, social interaction anxiety, and loneliness relate to binge-watching behaviours among university students

Evidence on the relationship between binge-watching and stress, social interaction anxiety, and loneliness among university students is still scarce and limited to a few countries; thus, the findings remain largely inconclusive. This study fills this gap by examining whether binge-watching is associated with and predicted by stress, social interaction anxiety, and loneliness. Television series viewing patterns, binge-watching behaviour, and psychological states of 149 Malaysian undergraduate students (Male = 48; Female = 101) aged 18 to 25 years were assessed through the Binge-Watching Addiction Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 in a cross-sectional online survey. The results show that most participants are moderately stressed, have high social interaction anxiety, and have high levels of loneliness. Although both genders report moderate binge-watching behaviour, female students have a higher frequency of binge-watching than males. Pearson correlational analyses show that binge-watching is significantly correlated with social interaction anxiety and loneliness but not with perceived stress. In multiple regression analysis, social interaction anxiety is the single predictor of binge-watching. These findings suggest that social interaction anxiety contributes significantly to explaining the extent of binge-watching behaviour. Watching television series consecutively seems to act as a strategy to satisfy certain needs and provide gratification to the viewers, confirming the applicability of the Uses and Gratification Theory. As such, higher learning institutions may consider designing and implementing interventions that address social interaction needs in relation to excessive consumption of television shows among students