Exploring the role of identification and moral disengagement in the enjoyment of an antihero television series
-
Sophie H. Janicke
and
Arthur A. Raney
Abstract
Affective disposition theory explains well the process of enjoying hero narratives but not the appeal of narratives featuring antiheroes. Recent antihero studies suggest that character identification and moral disengagement might be important factors in the enjoyment of such fare. The current study builds on this work. A sample of 101 self-identified fans and nonfans of the television series 24 viewed a condensed version of Season 1, providing evaluation of various protagonist perceptions, moral judgments, and emotional responses to the narrative, as well as overall enjoyment. As expected, fans reported greater liking of the protagonist and greater enjoyment. But more importantly, regression analyses illuminated key differences between the groups in terms of the factors predicting enjoyment, providing a clearer picture of how we enjoy antihero narratives.
©2015 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
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- The molding of mediatization: The stratified indispensability of media in close relationships
- “Help me. I am so alone.” Online emotional self-disclosure in shared coping-processes of children and adolescents on social networking platforms.
- How to take advantage of tablet computers: Effects of news structure on recall and comprehension
- Has TV advertising lost its effectiveness to other touch points?
- Research in brief
- The sociodemographics of political public deliberation: Measuring deliberative quality in different user groups
- Exploring the role of identification and moral disengagement in the enjoyment of an antihero television series
- Book Reviews
- Book Review
- Book Review
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- The molding of mediatization: The stratified indispensability of media in close relationships
- “Help me. I am so alone.” Online emotional self-disclosure in shared coping-processes of children and adolescents on social networking platforms.
- How to take advantage of tablet computers: Effects of news structure on recall and comprehension
- Has TV advertising lost its effectiveness to other touch points?
- Research in brief
- The sociodemographics of political public deliberation: Measuring deliberative quality in different user groups
- Exploring the role of identification and moral disengagement in the enjoyment of an antihero television series
- Book Reviews
- Book Review
- Book Review
