The Oxford Handbook of Entertainment Theory

by Peter Vorderer (Editor), Christoph Klimmt (Editor)

Overview

The proliferation of new digital technologies has given rise to an entirely changed media landscape and revolutionized how we seek entertainment. Older entertainment media like novels, radio, and film have been joined by a host of digital media that smartphones allow us to carry almost anywhere and at all times, from video games and social media to video on demand services. This unprecedented ubiquity of entertainment media calls for new and more sophisticated theories that help us understand the fascination that different entertainment media exert on us and how they change the human experience. The Oxford Handbook of Entertainment Theory surveys and furthers the most influential psychology-driven research on media entertainment to illuminate how people are drawn into media experiences. The 41 chapters in this Handbook not only offer fresh perspectives on established theories but also introduce emerging models and highlight the importance of considering the diverse backgrounds of media users when conducting research. They also cover the motivations and reactions of media users in relationship to different types of media, the trend towards interactive media such as video games and virtual reality, and particularly popular media contents like sexuality, violence, sports, and the news. As the most comprehensive overview of psychology-based research on media entertainment available, this Handbook is an invaluable resource for seasoned researchers and those beginning to learn about the field alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190072230
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/12/2021
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	800
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Peter Vorderer is Professor of Media and Communication Science at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research focuses on media-psychological questions, particularly the effects of entertainment media content, and the ubiquitous use of media in everyday life. He is a past president of the International Communication Association. Christoph Klimmt is Professor of Communication Science at Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media. His research interests revolve around media entertainment, media effects, and digital media technologies. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Media Psychology.

Table of Contents

Preface Section I: General Theoretical Accounts of Media Entertainment Chapter 1: A Brief Analysis of the State of Entertainment Theory: Historical Achievements, Contemporary Challenges, and Future Possibilities Peter Vorderer, Christoph Klimmt, and Jennings Bryant Chapter 2: Entertainment Is a Journey, Not Just a Destination: Process Perspectives in Entertainment Theories Andreas Fahr and Hannah Früh Chapter 3: The Narrative Enjoyment and Appreciation Rationale Ron Tamborini, Sara Grady, Joshua Baldwin, Nikki McClaran, and Robert Lewis Chapter 4: Life-Span Developmental Changes in Media Entertainment Experiences Marie-Louise Mares and James Alex Bonus Chapter 5: A Systematic Gender Perspective on Entertainment Theory Sabine Reich Chapter 6: How Universal Is Media Entertainment, Really? On the Enriching Potential of Cross-Cultural Approaches for Existing Entertainment Scholarship Özen Odag Chapter 7: Entertainment and Resonance Peter Vorderer Chapter 8: Finding Elusive Resonance Across Cultures and Time Gerald C. Cupchik, Despina Stamatopoulou, and Siying Duan Section II: Models and Theories Dedicated to Specific Experiential Processes Chapter 9: Selection of Entertainment Media: From Mood Management Theory to the SESAM Model Kate T. Luong and Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick Chapter 10: Binge-Watching as a Case of Escapist Entertainment Use Annabell Halfmann and Leonard Reinecke Chapter 11: Media Entertainment as Guilty Pleasure? The Appraisal of Media Use, Self-Control, and Entertainment (AMUSE) Model Leonard Reinecke and Adrian Meier Chapter 12: Advances in Research on the Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars (MIME) Allison Eden, Ron Tamborini, Melinda Aley, and Henry Goble Chapter 13: Stories Enlarge the Experience of Self: Evidence for the Temporarily Expanded Boundaries of the Self (TEBOTS) Model Benjamin K. Johnson, Michael D. Slater, Nathaniel A. Silver, and David R. Ewoldsen Chapter 14: Stepping In and Out of Media Characters: Identification and Dynamic Shifts in Users' Positioning towards Entertainment Messages Jonathan Cohen and Christoph Klimmt Chapter 15: Involvement with Media Personae and Entertainment Experiences William J. Brown Chapter 16: Only Project: A Psychological Principle Explored in a Novel Keith Oatley Chapter 17: The Role of Narrative Cues in Shaping ADT: What Makes Audiences Think that Good Things Happen to Good People? Ron Tamborini, Matthew Grizzard, Lindsay Hahn, Kevin Kryston, and Ezgi Ulusoy Chapter 18: Media Entertainment, Flow Experiences, and the Synchronization of Audiences Jacob T. Fisher, Chelsea Lonergan, Frederic R. Hopp, and René Weber Chapter 19: Transcending Eudaimonic Entertainment: A Review and Expansion of Meaningful Entertainment Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Anne Bartsch, Mary Beth Oliver, and Arthur A. Raney Chapter 20: Biographic Resonance Theory of Eudaimonic Media Entertainment Christoph Klimmt and Diana Rieger Chapter 21: Kama Muta as an Eudaimonic Entertainment Experience Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Thomas Schubert, and Johanna K. Blomster Chapter 22: Entertained by Amazement and Wonder: The Role of the Emotion Awe in Media Reception Daniel Possler and Arthur A. Raney Section III: Models on Entertainment Phenomena Bound to Specific Media or Message Types Chapter 23: Humor and Comedy Jeffrey Goldstein Chapter 24: Portrayals of Human Sexuality as Entertainment Francesca R. Dillman Carpentier and Farnosh Mazandarani Chapter 25: Cooling Down or Charging Up? Engagement with Aggressive Entertainment Contents as an Emotion Regulation Strategy of Boredom and Anger Heidi Vandebosch and Karolien Poels Chapter 26: Sports as (Digital) Media Entertainment Nicky Lewis Chapter 27: News as Entertainment Format: Applying Affective Disposition Theory and the Affective News Extended Model Melissa J. Robinson and Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick Chapter 28: An Extended Dual-Process Model of Entertainment Effects on Political Information Processing and Engagement Frank M. Schneider, Anne Bartsch, and Larissa Leonhard Chapter 29: Cinematic Entertainment: Contemporary Adolescents' Uses-and-Gratifications of Going to the Movies Maite Soto-Sanfiel Chapter 30: How Do People Evaluate Movies? Insights from the Associative-Propositional Evaluation Model Frank M. Schneider, Ines C. Vogel, Uli Gleich, and Anne Bartsch Chapter 31: TV Series Fandom as Eudaimonic Consumption José Antonio Muñiz-Velázquez and Javier Lozano Delmar Chapter 32: A Synergistic Multi-Process Model of Video Game Entertainment Christoph Klimmt and Daniel Possler Chapter 33: Interactivity as Demand: Implications for Interactive Media Entertainment Nicholas D. Bowman Chapter 34: Players' Moral Decisions in Virtual Worlds: Morality in Video Games André Melzer and Elisabeth Holl Chapter 35: Player-Avatar Identification, Relationships, and Interaction: Entertainment through Asocial, Parasocial, and Fully Social Processes Nicholas D. Bowman and Jaime Banks Chapter 36: Entertainment in Virtual Reality and Beyond: The Influence of Embodiment, Co-Location, and Cognitive Distancing on Users' Entertainment Experience Tilo Hartmann and Jesse Fox Section IV: Models on Consequences or Correlates of Entertainment Phenomena Chapter 37: Retrospective Imaginative Involvement and Entertainment Narratives: Initial Forays David R. Ewoldsen, Rick Busselle, Neha Sethi, and Michael D. Slater Chapter 38: Media Entertainment as a Self-Regulatory Resource: The Recovery and Resilience in Entertaining Media Use (R²EM) Model Leonard Reinecke and Diana Rieger Chapter 39: Entertainment Media and Social Consciousness Meghan S. Sanders, Chun Yang, Anthony Ciaramella, Rachel Italiano, Stephanie L. Whitenack, and Hope M. Hickerson Chapter 40: Entertainment Theories and Media Addiction Felix Reer, Robin Janzik, Lars-Ole Wehden, and Thorsten Quandt Chapter 41: Theorizing Entertainment-Education: A Complementary Perspective to the Development of Entertainment Theory Hua Wang and Arvind Singhal