Is Watching Others Self-Disclose Enjoyable? An Examination of the Effects of Depth and Mode of Information Delivery in Entertainment Media
Open Access
- Author:
- Tsay, Mina
- Graduate Program:
- Mass Communications
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 28, 2007
- Committee Members:
- Mary Beth Oliver, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
S. Shyam Sundar, Committee Member
Matthew Paul Mcallister, Committee Member
Denise Haunani Solomon, Committee Member - Keywords:
- information delivery
self-disclosure
media effects
entertainment
personal disclosure
disclosure
depth
mode - Abstract:
- One of the ways in which relationships develop and become more intimate is through the exchange of personal feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and desires. This process of making the self known to others, or self-disclosure, has been extensively studied for decades in areas of psychology, sociology, and interpersonal communication. Considerable research has supported the positive associations between disclosure of personal information and relationship satisfaction, attainment of intimacy, and pursuit for relational longevity. If self-disclosure is conceptualized as a means through which closeness or familiarity is produced between partners (under the premise that the disclosure is not negative), can such a response be attributable to mediated forms of self-disclosure between a viewer and character on television? The present study empirically tests the effects of two particular dimensions of self-disclosure: depth (private vs. public information) and mode of information delivery (character-to-viewer vs. character-to-character vs. narrator-to-viewer). Findings support the prediction that a viewer’s overall enjoyment of witnessing the disclosure of a character’s personal information, identification, and transportation are functions of depth and mode of information delivery. Further, results suggest the important role of “character address” in heightening audience engagement. This study invaluably provides a deeper understanding of the ways in which personal information exchange in the context of entertainment media helps to facilitate enjoyment through different paths of involvement. Implications for the similarity of interpersonal and mediated relationships, societal expectations of privacy, effective entertainment formats, and online self-disclosure are discussed.