Transportation and Narrative Engagement

CoMPARE Research Lab

Relevance

• Many factors effect story telling: time, valence, and arousal

• 30 second commercials rule TV, with even shorter 15 second commercials gaining popularity

• How long does it take for a viewer to become actively engaged in a narrative? What type of narrative draws the strongest amount of attentional focus?

• Two theories will be addressed: Transportation Theory and Narrative Engagement Theory

Transportation Theory

• According to Green & Brock it is defined as “a distinct mental process, an integrative melding of attention, imagery, and feelings” (2000).

• Transportation can be measured by how engulfed the viewer becomes in the stimulus.

• The act of being transported can make the viewer lose track of reality and can be enjoyable as well.

Green, M.C. & Brock, T.C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701-721

Narrative Engagement Theory

• Created through emotional connectivity to the story and character identification.

• Viewer must be able to conceptualize the story and recall information about the narrative.

• Sometimes referred to as a “traveler” returning from a journey.

Variables

• Time– the length of the narrative that it takes to engage a viewer

• Valence– the attractiveness (positive emotion) or aversiveness

(negative emotion) of the mediated message• Arousal

– the level of awareness and reactivity to the mediated message

Inside the Lab• Participants are instructed to either the

physiological study or the non-physiological study upon arrival.Physiological: Non-Physiological:

Measurements

• Physiological– Heart rate– Skin conductance– Hand Dynamometer

• Non-Physiological– Post stimulus assessments

Hand Dynamometer

• Newest physiological device in CoMPARE Research Lab

• Measures gripping (compression) or pulling (tension).

• Helps us measure level of transportation

3-way Factorial Design

• 2 (valence) x 2 (arousal) x 4 (repetitions) study• Videos are either: high valence, high arousal; high

valence, low arousal; low valence, high arousal; low valence, low arousal.

• 16 videos split up into sets of 8.• Cross referenced physiological and non-

physiological data • First lab to collect real-time data on

Transportation Theory

Research Questions

• RQ1: Will valence influence transportation?• RQ2: Will arousal influence transportation?• RQ3: Will valence influence narrative

engagement?• RQ4: Will arousal influence narrative

engagement?

Current Status

• Ran 80 physiological participants and 80 non-physiological participants.

• Currently extracting data.