With a focus on the psychological process of identification with media characters, this thesis builds upon existing research about the various representations of familial structures in fictional television and their effect on audience members. Using survey data to inquire about how modern television’s evolving definitions of family could impact viewer responses to accessible programming allows for further exploration of the role that the familial aspects and nuances which are portrayed on television may play in the way that viewers experience identification with these characters. After performing a quantitative and qualitative analysis of survey responses, given modest results it can be concluded that similarity between the viewer’s family and the family of an on-screen character is a predictor of identification between the viewer and that character. We gain, through this research, a deeper understanding of trends in how participants experience identification with fictional families and individuals. Furthermore, we can better understand how audiences could be influenced by seeing (or not seeing) families that resemble one’s own in entertainment media. / Media & Communication
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/1912 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Messina, Nicole M. |
| Contributors | Lombard, Matthew, Rodríguez, Clemencia, Murphy, Patrick D. |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 129 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/1894, Theses and Dissertations |
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