13 Media and Embodiment

2025-11-25

What Can Cognitive Load and Processing Fluency Tell Us About Difficult Processing?

Media Psychology · 2025-10-30

This experiment investigated the impacts of difficult processing in the context of a health narrative by integrating two distinct literatures: cognitive load and processing fluency. Difficult processing was manipulated via an auditory cue induction of reactive cognitive control (a manipulation of cognitive load) and language difficulty (a manipulation of processing fluency). We examined whether cognitive load can impact persuasion-relevant outcomes, and similarly whether processing fluency can impact memory. Results revealed that the processing fluency manipulation impacted memory, suggesting subjective difficulty was indicative of resource availability, as well as narrative persuasion. Additionally, the processing fluency and cognitive load manipulations interacted such that when the language was difficult, the presence of auditory cues enhanced memory. Our results show that cognitive load and processing fluency interact to shape message processing and effects.

Empowered by the Experience: Playing as Female Characters in Video Games

Media and Communication · 2024-11-13 · 3 citations

Research on female video game characters often investigates negative outcomes of playing as stereotyped characters. Yet, video games increasingly offer people opportunities to play as capable, prominent female characters that may be meaningful and promote positive outcomes (e.g., feelings of empowerment). This manuscript shares the results of a mixed methods survey of individuals (<em>N</em> = 751) recruited via online forums who recalled their experiences playing as female game characters. We analyzed qualitative response data using a traditional, top-down approach to identify themes. We focus our analysis and discussion on the results of a human-derived analysis, which indicated both positive and negative dimensions of experiences that participants found meaningful. Participants reported that taking on the role of a female character was often very important to them, but the reason for this significance varied across players. Often, these reasons involved their own gender identities and the context in which the gameplay occurred (e.g., online multiplayer). We consider findings as evidence of eudaimonic media effects.

Evidence of Ambivalent Sexism in Female Video Game Character Designs

Mass Communication & Society · 2024-02-21 · 9 citations

This report shares the results of a systematic, quantitative analysis of themes resonant with ambivalent sexism in playable female video game characters.Applying principles of ambivalent sexism's underlying concepts of paternalism, compulsory heterosexuality, and gender differentiation, we developed a coding scheme for assessing themes in character personalities, stories, and other aspects of their characterizations.We sampled games developed in Japan and the United States released between 1983 and 2017 (N = 398) and derived data from primary texts (i.e.video game content) and paratexts (i.e.character wiki entries).Our results provide evidence of sexist portrayals for playable characters.Evidence of sexist portrayals emerged with meaningful associations observed among theoretically relevant concepts (i.e.capability, sexualization, development location).We discuss our findings with respect to ambivalent sexism theory and the sociocultural contexts of video game development in Japan and the United States.

Examining How Sex Appeal Cues and Strength Cues Influence Impressions of Female Video Game Characters

Communication Research · 2024-09-10 · 4 citations

Sexualization is a prominently studied dimension of how media content contributes to problematic outcomes for women (e.g., self-objectification). In video game contexts, scholars have debated whether portrayals of powerful characters may disrupt undesirable outcomes of sexual objectification. In two studies, we experimentally manipulated sex appeal cues and strength cues in female characters. Participants reported their impressions in terms of key person perception outcomes and liking of the characters. We also aimed to understand how interactivity shapes impression formation by comparing viewing (Study 1) to playing (Study 2) contexts. Results indicated that sex appeal cues and strength cues interacted to shape character impressions but did so differently depending on the type of interaction participants had with the character. In both studies, sexual appeal cues produced greater disliking of the characters. Our discussion considers the findings with respect to character design in video games and other media entertainment.

(Men)tal health: Perceptions of depression in men and women

SSM - Mental Health · 2023-11-23 · 5 citations

Despite evidence indicating that depression is prevalent in men, gender stereotypes persist that position the disorder as feminine. This misperception may contribute to men's underdiagnosis with and undertreatment for depression. We applied the shifting standards model (SSM) to advance predictions about gender differences in the evaluation of individuals described as experiencing depression. These predictions took the form of objective and subjective evaluations, as well as minimum and confirmatory standards. We randomly assigned participants (N = 430) in a 3 (target gender: man, woman, control) x 2 (judgment standards: minimum, confirmatory) between-subjects experiment. Participants read a vignette describing a woman, man, or individual of unspecified gender and provided the evidence they would need to suspect or confirm depression in the target individual consistent with minimum and confirmatory judgment standards. Results from the pilot and main studies indicate more gender similarities than differences. We discuss the findings with respect to the SSM and how the increase in mental health salience during the COVID-19 pandemic may have mitigated gender stereotypical views of depression.

Threat and Enhancement: Strength of Gamer Identity Moderates Affective Response to Messages about Gaming

2023-03-11 · 2 citations

Advancing hypotheses derived from social identity theory, we investigated the influence of gamer identity affiliation on affective responses to identity threats and enhancements. Participants viewed a message that either devalued (i.e., threatened) or elevated (i.e., enhanced) the status of gamers when associating them with a mass shooting event. Relative to a control condition that neither threatened nor enhanced identity, our data demonstrated that gamer identity affiliation moderated affect. Specifically, greater gamer affiliation increased negative affect experienced after a threatening message. By contrast, greater gamer affiliation increased positive affect and reduced negative affect experienced after an enhancement message. Analyses of participants’ emotional reactions to the messages revealed that individuals with stronger gamer identity affiliation reported relatively more homogeneous emotions relative to individuals less affiliated with gamer identity. We discuss these response patterns with respect to how emotions may shape intergroup interaction in online communication.

The Effects of Side-Taking on Narrative Entertainment and the Perceptions of Events and Characters

Media Psychology · 2023-09-12 · 3 citations

Media psychologists commonly study how narrative elements (e.g. characters) influence entertainment and perceptions. Research on the sequencing and structure of these elements (i.e. metanarrative; the shape of the story) is less common. In both areas, morality tends to ground theorizing (e.g. disposition theory). To extend knowledge in these domains, we conceptualize and observe the effects of side-taking (i.e. choosing a side during conflict), a core concept in narratives and moral psychology. Dynamic coordination theory explains that side-taking is fundamental to morality because it signals moral judgment/condemnation. In a preregistered experiment (N = 577), we observed how the direction (i.e. siding with/against the protagonists or taking no side) and timing of side-taking (i.e. early, middle, or late in the story) influenced variables at multiple levels of analysis (i.e. micro-to-macro). Although timing did not produce effects, we found robust evidence that the direction of side-taking affected variables at all levels of analysis.

Threat and Enhancement

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications · 2023-05-16 · 3 citations

Abstract: Advancing hypotheses derived from social identity theory, we investigated the influence of gamer identity affiliation on affective responses to identity threats and enhancements. Participants viewed a message that either devalued (i.e., threatened) or elevated (i.e., enhanced) the status of gamers when associating them with a mass shooting event. Relative to a control condition that neither threatened nor enhanced identity, our data demonstrated that gamer identity affiliation moderated affect. Specifically, greater gamer affiliation increased negative affect experienced after a threatening message. By contrast, greater gamer affiliation increased positive affect and reduced negative affect experienced after an enhancement message. Analyses of participants’ emotional reactions to the messages revealed that individuals with stronger gamer identity affiliation reported relatively more homogeneous emotions relative to individuals less affiliated with gamer identity. We discuss these response patterns with respect to how emotions may shape intergroup interaction in online communication.