Chapter 13

Question 1

Audiences emotional responses to fright

Answer 1

“Reaction of fright or anxiety”

Aka fright reaction

Widespread panic when “war of the worlds broadcasted live on radio” p.200

Question 2

Dr. C’s additions

Answer 2

Fear and xenophobia of immigrants/”aliens” in politics and social discourse

Dr c was also afraid of the exorcist

Question 3

Types of mechanisms to create/ produce fear (3)

Answer 3

Dangers and injuries

Distortions of natural forms

Endangerment and fear by others

Question 4

Stimulus generalization

Answer 4

Whenever viewers witness highly realistic, scary action on the screen, their fright responses tend to be highly emotional

Question 5

Methods for measuring fright (2)

Answer 5

Self reporting measures

Measures of physiological responses

Question 6

Methods for measuring reactions to fright: self reporting measures

Answer 6

Respondents are asked to report levels of anxiety and also recall media content that frightens them and words or phrases that best describe their reactions to the content

Question 7

Methods for measuring reactions to fright: measuring physiological responses

Answer 7

heart rate, skin temperature, facial expressions

Measured in lab by researchers

Question 8

What frightens children: ages 3-8 years

Answer 8

Frightening images on the screen such as:
Monsters
Ghosts
Supernatural creatures
The dark
Animals 
Strange looking creatures
Fast moving creatures 
**aka just the stimulus itself no matter how unreal or fantastic it is**

Question 9

What frightens children ages: 9-12 years

Answer 9

Threats of injury or destruction to the self or loved ones frightens children most in this age group

Question 10

What frightens children: ages 12 and older

Answer 10

Personal injury is also a fear for adolescents, but they also face social and peer pressures and accompanying fears, and global concerns such as politics, the economy, or the environment

Question 11

The reasons for these differences among age groups

Answer 11

Has to do with cognitive development

As a child grows older, he or she responds more intensely to media depictions that are based more on reality than fantasy or the unrealistic.

Question 12

Coping strategies for dealing with fear (2 categories)

Answer 12

Cognitive and non cognitive

Question 13

Non cognitive coping strategies

Answer 13

Those that do not require the viewer to process verbal information.

Have been shown to work well among young children

Question 14

Types of non cognitive strategies

2

Answer 14

Visual desensitization

Physical activity

Question 17

Cognitive coping strategies

Answer 17

Those that require the activation of cognitive processes (talking about the fear) tend to work well with children of elementary school age and older.

Though noncognitive strategies also help

Question 18

NC Strategies: Visual desensitization

Answer 18

Allows children to be gradually exposed to disturbing content.

Question 19

NC Strategies: Physical activity

Answer 19

Doing something physically while viewing content. However it is seen as a distraction rather than diminishing/eliminating fear

Clinging to an object is an example of this strategy.

Eating or drinking while viewing a scene has been shown to reduce fears, but some researchers argue that this takes place only because the child is distracted

Closing eyes is another example but used by only younger children. Older children actually become more afraid due to continuing sounds.

Question 20

Explanations for appeals to fright

Answer 20

Catharsis/Purgation

Identification

Vicarious experience

Horror serves as a necessary/noxious experience

Religious overtones

Empathic responses towards the victims

Satisfying endings to horror stories

Question 21

Catharsis/purgation as an explanation for the appeal to fright

Answer 21

Audience members witness graphic violence on the screen or read about it in books, they purge or rid themselves of their own violent tendencies/inclinations

Question 22

Identification and the vicarious experience as explanations for the appeal to fright

Answer 22

Some say that viewers are able to get sadistic pleasure by identifying with the monsters and killers and victims as well. Living vicariously through the characters

Question 23

The “necessary and noxious experience” as an explanation for the appeal to fright

Answer 23

Provides the viewer with feelings of gratified relief once the story is finished.

Feel accomplished and relieved

Question 24

Religious overtones as an explanation for the appeal to fright

Answer 24

People enjoy horror because it encourages a belief in a superior spiritual being capable of destroying evil forces.

Ultimately they experience feelings of spiritual safety.

Question 25

Release of empathetic responses towards victims as an explanation for the appeal to fright

Answer 25

Makes viewers apprehensive of becoming victims themselves.

Viewers identify with the victims and experience their terror vicariously

Frightens viewers because of their apprehensions; they fear being/becoming the victims themselves.

All relieved by a satisfying ending enjoyed by viewers

Question 26

Emotional response factors to fear producing stimuli (3)

Answer 26

Realism of depiction

Motivations of the viewer

Factors affecting viewers’ emotional responses

Question 27

Emotional responses: Realism of depiction

Answer 27

Highly realistic and scary onscreen depictions tend to elicit more intense emotional responses

Aka Stimulation Generalization

Question 28

Emotional responses: Stimulation generalization (aka realism of onscreen depictions)

Answer 28

The greater the similarity=the stronger the generalization stimulus=stronger fearful/emotional response to the stimulus

Question 29

Emotional responses: motivations of the viewer 1 - cognitive measures to enhance or minimize fright responses

Answer 29

Mature adult viewers possess control over responses to fearful media content

Viewers can either keep reminding themselves that the events on screen are fake to keep fright reactions to a minimum or purposely forget the events are being staged to enhance the experience (more realistic because fully submersed in the program) and become more frightened

Question 30

Emotional responses: motivations of the viewer 2 - acquisition of info

Answer 30

Viewers who watch for this reason tend to pay more attention to the program and thus become more aroused by what they see

Documentaries of actual real life portrayals of violence elicit significantly higher arousal/fright reactions than programs that the viewers know are fictional.

Due to real life threat of these real life depictions. Happens to more mature children and adults.

Question 31

Factors affecting viewers’ emotional responses

Answer 31

Viewers who are previously aroused before viewing an exciting or disturbing scene retain some “arousal residue” which combines with new responses to film scenes to produce more intense emotional reactions.

This previous arousal/foreshadowing/forewarning before pop ups is used when directors use certain music, sounds or angles

The theory of excitation transfer explains this phenomenon

Question 32

Hedonism

Answer 32

the branch of psychology that deals with unpleasant or pleasant states of consciousness

Question 34

Cognitive strategies examples

Answer 34

Telling the child that the program is not real

If the program depicts highly realistic threats then tell them about the minimal risk/danger

Info can be provided verbally and visually and simple reassuring words can be repeated to calm the child