Experiment Investigating Preexisting Beliefs and Reasons to Watch Romantic Comedies on Beliefs, Mood, and Enjoyment

• In Event: Advances in Entertainment Media Research

Abstract

This study presents the results of a pretest, posttest, multiple message, control group experiment. I investigated whether preexisting romantic beliefs prior to viewing one of three types of movie content (ideal romantic comedy, challenge romantic comedy, control film) played a role in the effect on romantic beliefs, enjoyment, and mood among 358 undergraduate students. I also looked at whether the motivations to view these content made a difference in terms of effects on those outcomes. In general, the results demonstrate that whereas different motivations to view have different implications for effects, preexisting romantic beliefs do not make a difference except that they predict greater enjoyment of ideal romantic comedies. Thus, future research on the effects of romantic comedies and other films should focus on why individuals choose to watch certain types of content and how those motivations influence effects, rather than investigating the preexisting conditions viewers bring with them to the media encounter.

Author

• Veronica Hefner, Chapman U