TY - JOUR
T1 - Embodiment of narrative engagement
T2 - Connecting self-reported narrative engagement to psychophysiological measures
AU - Sukalla, Freya
AU - Bilandzic, Helena
AU - Bolls, Paul D.
AU - Busselle, Rick W.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Hogrefe Publishing.
Copyright:
Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/10
Y1 - 2016/10
N2 - This study investigated the validity of the narrative engagement scale (Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009) by grounding the dimensions of the scale in relationships between self-reported narrative engagement and embodied mental processes occurring during exposure. Psychophysiological measures were used to observe real-time variation in mental processes activated when individuals viewed narrative content that was manipulated in two fundamental content characteristics: cohesion and emotional content. The results of a 2 (low vs. high cohesion) ×2 (low vs. high emotional content) ×3 (video clips) mixed model repeated measures experiment showed consistent influences of cohesion and emotional content on self-reported narrative engagement as well as psychophysiological indicators (heart rate, skin conductance, corrugator activity). Confirming the hypotheses, self-reported attentional focus was related to lower levels of heart rate, while self-reported emotional engagement was positively related to corrugator activity. Both attentional focus and emotional engagement were related to increases of skin conductance levels over time. The results support the validity of the dimensional concept of narrative engagement and open further avenues for clarifying mechanisms of narrative persuasion.
AB - This study investigated the validity of the narrative engagement scale (Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009) by grounding the dimensions of the scale in relationships between self-reported narrative engagement and embodied mental processes occurring during exposure. Psychophysiological measures were used to observe real-time variation in mental processes activated when individuals viewed narrative content that was manipulated in two fundamental content characteristics: cohesion and emotional content. The results of a 2 (low vs. high cohesion) ×2 (low vs. high emotional content) ×3 (video clips) mixed model repeated measures experiment showed consistent influences of cohesion and emotional content on self-reported narrative engagement as well as psychophysiological indicators (heart rate, skin conductance, corrugator activity). Confirming the hypotheses, self-reported attentional focus was related to lower levels of heart rate, while self-reported emotional engagement was positively related to corrugator activity. Both attentional focus and emotional engagement were related to increases of skin conductance levels over time. The results support the validity of the dimensional concept of narrative engagement and open further avenues for clarifying mechanisms of narrative persuasion.
KW - Emotions
KW - Narrative engagement
KW - Narrative processing
KW - Psychophysiological processes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995378031&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1027/1864-1105/a000153
DO - 10.1027/1864-1105/a000153
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84995378031
VL - 28
SP - 175
EP - 186
JO - Journal of Media Psychology
JF - Journal of Media Psychology
SN - 1864-1105
IS - 4
ER -