Universiẗat, Diss., 1973 u.d.T.: Richter, Günther: Soziologische Aspekte der rhetorischen Kommunikation--Halle.

Konstanz, Univ., Magisterarb., 1995.

Emotional shifts are often a fundamental part of the narrative experience and engrained into the schematic structures of stories. Recent theoretical work suggests that these shifts are key for narrative influence and are interconnected with transportation, a known mechanism of narrative effects. Empirical research examining this proposition is still scarce, inconclusive, and lacking measures that assess the experience of emotional shifts throughout a narrative to explain effects. This thesis aims to contribute to this research lacuna and investigates the link between emotional shifts, transportation, and story-consistent outcomes using different methods to measure emotional shifts in the moment they occur (Manuscript #1 and #2), and using various narrative stimuli (audiovisual, written, auditive). Manuscript #1 uses real-time-response (RTR) measurement to examine the relationship of valence shifts experienced during film viewing with transportation and post-exposure self-reported emotional flow. Manuscript #2 reports a pilot study and two experiments in which a self-probed emotional retrospection task is used to measure the number and intensity of emotional shifts during reading. I investigate the effect of reviews on transportation, the link between transportation and emotional shifts, and their respective associations with story-consistent attitudes, social sharing intentions, and donation behavior. In Manuscript #3, narrative structures are manipulated. Two experiments examine the effects of audio stories with shifting (positive-negative-positive) vs. positive-only emotional trajectories on the experience of happiness- and sadness-shifts, transportation, and post-exposure emotional flow. Transportation was positively linked to valence shifts (M#1), and the number and intensity of emotional shifts (M#2), and emotional flow (M#1, M#3). In M#3, transportation was predicted by shifts in happiness, but not sadness. Emotional flow was linked to shifts in happiness, sadness, and RTR valence (M#1, M#3). Emotional shifts and transportation were associated with social sharing intentions, but only transportation was linked to some story-consistent attitudes (affective attitudes in particular). / Dynamisches emotionales Erleben ist oft charakteristisch für die Rezeption von Geschichten. Aktuelle theoretische Arbeiten postulieren, dass diese emotionalen Wechsel für den Einfluss von Narrationen entscheidend und mit Transportation, einem bekannten Mechanismus für narrative Wirkungen, verflochten sind. Empirische Evidenz zu dieser These ist noch rar, inkonsistent, und es kommt meist kein Prozessmaß emotionaler Wechsel zum Einsatz, um Effekte zu erklären. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll einen Beitrag zu dieser Forschungslücke leisten und untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen emotionalen Wechseln, Transportation und persuasiven Wirkungen unter Verwendung verschiedener Stimuli (audiovisuell, schriftlich, auditiv) und Methoden zur Messung emotionaler Veränderungen im Moment ihres Auftretens (Manuskript 1 und 2). Manuskript #1 verwendet Real-Time-Response Messung (RTR) zur Untersuchung der Beziehung zwischen Valenzverschiebungen während der Filmrezeption, Transportation und retrospektiv selbstberichtetem Emotional Flow. Manuskript #2 berichtet eine Pilotstudie und zwei Experimente, die eine Self-Probed Emotional Retrospection Task zur Messung der Anzahl und Intensität emotionaler Wechsel während des Lesens verwenden. Die Experimente untersuchen die Wirkungen einer Rezensions-Manipulation auf Transportation sowie die Zusammenhänge zwischen Transportation, emotionalen Wechseln, Einstellungen, Absichten zum sozialen Teilen und Spendenverhalten. In Manuskript #3 werden Erzählstrukturen manipuliert. In zwei Experimenten werden die Wirkungen auditiver Geschichten mit wechselnden (positiv-negativ-positiv) bzw. nur positiven Strukturen auf erlebte Veränderungen von Freude und Trauer, Transportation, und Emotional Flow untersucht. Transportation stand in positivem Zusammenhang mit Valenzverschiebungen (M#1), der Anzahl und Intensität emotionaler Wechsel (M#2) und Emotional Flow (M#1, M#3). In M#3 wurde Transportation durch Veränderungen von Freude, aber nicht Trauer vorhergesagt. Emotional Flow war mit Veränderungen von Freude, Trauer und RTR-Valenzverschiebungen korreliert (M#1, M#3). Mehr und intensivere emotionale Wechsel und Transportation gingen mit einer erhöhten Absicht einher, Inhalte zu teilen bzw. über Inhalte zu reden. Nur Transportation war jedoch mit einigen der untersuchten (insbesondere affektiven) Einstellungen assoziiert.

Zugl.: Zürich, Univ., Diss., 2007

Zugl.: Erfurt, Univ., Diss., 2007.

Thesis (doctoral) - Universität, Köln, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 341-346).

The purpose of this study is to approach the understanding of viewing of reality television with the intention to explore emotional responses in the reception since emotions are crucial part in the emotionalized television genre of reality television. The German adaption of the format The Farmer Wants a Wife was chosen for this case study to examine tendencies of portraying contestants in unpleasant situations. Humiliation, embarrassment or discrediting the contestants creates a balancing act between fun and ridicule. The protagonists are located between the status of (temporary) cult figures and/or figures of fun. The thesis’ main aim is to find out which emotions are perceived and addressed in the watching experience of the format being named in the context of ‘fremdschämen’. The winged German word for vicarious or empathic embarrassment was thereby addressed beyond its descriptive metaphor for current programs. Emotional responses in connection with shame and embarrassment were previously predominantly neglected in research on reality television. Its relevance and occurrence in media is insofar important, as the concept of ‘fremdschämen’ found the way into German mainstream language use. The thesis delivers qualitative approaches to capture the mediation of emotions in reality TV: In a narrative analysis, the question on how emotions actually are staged was approached. Subsequently, four focus group discussions with overall 18 German-speaking discussants were conducted to understand individual and social watching preferences, emotional involvement, attachment styles and positioning in the reception. The study’s findings suggest that the contestants’ ordinariness is challenged by mainly focusing on extraordinarity in the docusoap. Thereby, new opportunities of audience positioning, identification and anti-identification and constructions of appealing figures are encouraged. Gentle mockery in the style of presentation contains furthermore self-criticism of the genre and expresses a critical stance of viewing. Emotions are performed on different levels to increase entertaining values in the program. Especially embarrassment can be connected to its function of ridicule and the maintenance of social order.