Inspired to Adopt: The Role of Social Norms in Media Inspiration

We consider the potential for inspirational media content (inspiring videos about dogs) and injunctive norms (social media comments on the videos) to motivate dog adoption behaviors and intentions. In an online experiment, participants were exposed to pretested inspiring (or non-inspiring) videos and social norms cues and were given an opportunity to browse among a series of dogs on a mock adoption website. Participants also indicated their intention to adopt a dog and completed a series of socio-demographic measures. Results indicated that, although both the inspiring videos and the norm cues successfully induced inspiration and perceived injunctive norms, only injunctive norms significantly affected intention to adopt. The effect of norms remained significant when controlling for barriers to adoption such as financial, time, and space considerations. Discussion focuses on implications for inspiring entertainment and social norms theories, and implications for adoptions and other prosocial behaviors

Incorporating Virtual Reality Training in an Introductory Public Speaking Course

This study presents the results of two studies using a virtual reality (VR) public-speaking training simulation as an instructional aid in a basic communication course. Results from the first study suggest that VR practice was associated with higher subsequent speech delivery grades in the course compared to no practice. However, VR practice did not reduce public speaking anxiety (PSA). In a follow-up study, VR practice was compared with other forms of lab-based practice including in front of a mirror and a recorded video session. All forms of lab practice (VR, mirror, or video) were associated with higher speech grades than no practice, but there were no differences between lab-practice conditions in terms of outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of adopting and using virtual public-speaking simulations in large undergraduate public-speaking courses

The drench effects of narrative video games and their effects on relationships between adult men and young girls

The purpose of this study was to identify if the drench hypothesis could explain changes in nurturing responses of men towards girls as a result of playing a narrative video game. Additionally, further measures were taken to examine the mechanisms leading to changes to perceptions. A survey measured a small sample of young men\u27s nurturance before and after playing their game. Pre-test and post-test nurturance scores were compared. Additionally, a survey designed to measure the drench effects of their experience playing the game was conducted after testing. Analysis of the effectiveness of the drench effects scale, and analysis of its ability to predict changes to nurturance were conducted. No significant changes were found among the pre-test and post-test scores. Thus, drench effects were not found to be a determinant of changes to nurturing responses. Analysis of the scale revealed that identification with characters was the best determinant of drench effects. Future research into the variables influencing the drench effect of video games is needed

The drench effects of narrative video games and their effects on relationships between adult men and young girls

The purpose of this study was to identify if the drench hypothesis could explain changes in nurturing responses of men towards girls as a result of playing a narrative video game. Additionally, further measures were taken to examine the mechanisms leading to changes to perceptions. A survey measured a small sample of young men\u27s nurturance before and after playing their game. Pre-test and post-test nurturance scores were compared. Additionally, a survey designed to measure the drench effects of their experience playing the game was conducted after testing. Analysis of the effectiveness of the drench effects scale, and analysis of its ability to predict changes to nurturance were conducted. No significant changes were found among the pre-test and post-test scores. Thus, drench effects were not found to be a determinant of changes to nurturing responses. Analysis of the scale revealed that identification with characters was the best determinant of drench effects. Future research into the variables influencing the drench effect of video games is needed

Using Attribution Theory To Explain The Affective Dispositions Of Tireless Moral Monitors Toward Narrative Characters

Recent literature suggests that affective disposition theory (ADT) has difficulty explaining the appeal of protagonists that sometimes do bad things. We addressed this issue by integrating logic from attribution theory with ADT. Three studies examined whether causal factors identified in attribution theory’s covariation model (consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency) affected internal/external attributions (for a character’s harmful behavior) to shape liking for characters seen inflicting extreme harm. In Study 1, a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment varied (high vs low) the perceptions of consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency associated with a protagonist’s harmful acts to examine their effect on liking for a well-known hero. In a 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 experiment using an unknown character, Studies 2 and 3 added to Study 1’s design by varying character type (imperfect hero, morally equivocal character, villain). Findings indicate narrative cues serve as antecedent factors that prompt either internal or external attributions for a protagonist’s harmful behavior. Internal attributions negatively predict character liking, whereas external attributions are positive predictors. Findings suggest that writers, when they want viewers to like characters, may use attribution theory principles to signal that external factors caused the character’s harmful acts. We discuss this belief as an alternative to models that explain the appeal of protagonists who behave immorally, reasoning that initially-activated character schema can bias audiences in favor of a protagonist and minimize the importance of moral judgment