Videos by Karen E . Shackleford
Shackleford, K. E., Oatley, K., Green, M. C., & Stever, G. S. (2022, May 26-30). Vicarious social... more Shackleford, K. E., Oatley, K., Green, M. C., & Stever, G. S. (2022, May 26-30). Vicarious social connection: Engagement with fictional characters and media personalities. [Paper presentation.] International Communication Association 72nd Annual Meeting, Paris, France. 2 views
Keywords: fictional characters, television, film, narrative psychology, identification, parasocia... more Keywords: fictional characters, television, film, narrative psychology, identification, parasocial relationships
A social psychologist discusses how fictional characters have a psychological reality for fans. 9 views
Talks by Karen E . Shackleford
While our colleagues in the Humanities have been hard at work studying fandom, we in psychology h... more While our colleagues in the Humanities have been hard at work studying fandom, we in psychology have been relatively quiet on the topic. I was quiet myself until I understood that studying the social psychology of fandom is the key to unraveling the mysteries of how screen time can be “good for you” – in other words, how our absorption with popular culture characters, situations and stories is actually a form of psychological exercise. Such practices can help us process our own emotions and beliefs as well as showing us new horizons.
Karen Dill-Shackleford is a social psychologist whose expertise is on social factors related to everyday media use. From video games to social networks, from selfies to TV and film dramas, Dr. Dill-Shackleford’s work reveals both the risks and the benefits of living in a media-rich world. She is the author of How Fantasy Becomes Reality, co-author of Mad Men Unzipped, and the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology.
Narrative, Parasocial, Identification, Characters by Karen E . Shackleford
Journal of Health Psychology
Research has demonstrated the ability of fictional narratives to educate about social and health ... more Research has demonstrated the ability of fictional narratives to educate about social and health issues. Although some entertainment-education efforts have used live theater as a mechanism for social change, very few use social science methods to demonstrate exposure effects. This project used live theater to increase understanding and knowledge about Intimate Partner Violence, a pervasive and costly social and health problem. Audiences watched either a play about abusive relationships --emphasizing psychological abuse and the role of coercion and control --or a control play. Compared to controls, those who watched the abuse play were more knowledgeable and less accepting of myths about abusive relationships in a way that mirrored play content. Both plays were highly transporting, and there were no significant effects involving transportation. These results provide rare evidence for theater as a tool for social change.
Sex Roles
Video game characters are icons in youth popular
culture, but research on their role in gender s... more Video game characters are icons in youth popular
culture, but research on their role in gender socialization is
rare. A content analysis of images of video game characters
from top-selling American gaming magazines showed male
characters (83%) are more likely than female characters
(62%) to be portrayed as aggressive. Female characters are
more likely than male characters to be portrayed as
sexualized (60% versus 1%), scantily clad (39% versus
8%) and as showing a mix of sex and aggression (39 versus
1%). A survey of teens confirmed that stereotypes of male
characters as aggressive and female characters as sexually
objectified physical specimens are held even by nongamers.
Studies are discussed in terms of the role media
plays in socializing sexism.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2008
The violent video game literature has previously not extended to the domain of violence against w... more The violent video game literature has previously not extended to the domain of violence against women.
The current investigation tested the effects of exposure to sex-typed video game characters versus images
of professional men and women on judgments and attitudes supporting aggression against women.
Results showed experimental effects of short-term exposure to stereotypical media content on sexual
harassment judgments but not on rape myth acceptance. A significant interaction indicated that men
exposed to stereotypical content made judgments that were more tolerant of a real-life instance of sexual
harassment compared to controls. Long-term exposure to video game violence was correlated with
greater tolerance of sexual harassment and greater rape myth acceptance. This data contributes to our
understanding of mass media’s role in socialization that supports violence against women
Researchhasdemonstratedtheabilityoffictionalnarrativestoeducateaboutsocialandhealthissues.Although... more Researchhasdemonstratedtheabilityoffictionalnarrativestoeducateaboutsocialandhealthissues.Althoughsomeentertainment-educationeffortshaveusedlivetheaterasamechanismforsocialchange,veryfewusesocialsciencemethodstodemonstrateexposureeffects.Thisprojectusedlivetheatertoincreaseunderstandingandknowledgeaboutintimatepartnerviol-ence,apervasiveandcostlysocialandhealthproblem.Audienceswatchedeitheraplayaboutabusiverelationships—emphasizingpsychologicalabuseandtheroleofcoercionandcontrol—oracontrolplay.Comparedwithcontrols,thosewhowatchedtheabuseplayweremoreknowledgeableandlessacceptingofmythsaboutabusiverelationshipsinawaythatmirroredplaycontent.Althoughbothplayswerehighlytransporting,transportationdidnotexplainasignificantamountofvarianceintheattitudestowardintimatepartnerviolence.Theseresultsproviderareevidencefortheaterasatoolforsocialchange.
Fans of complex television dramas often watch because of eudaimonic motivations – the desire to ... more Fans of complex television dramas often watch because of eudaimonic motivations – the desire to make meaning from media, to explore their own emotions and to learn about the human experience through the exploration of novel experiences that audio-visual fiction affords. This study analyses the psychology of how fans of Mad Men (2007) construct social realities via online discussions of some of the major rela-tionships and storylines on the show. Our primary goal was to understand how fans create reality from fantasy and our focus was on social relationships and indi-vidual character analyses. Using a social science approach, we performed both a computer-automated and an expert-driven thematic analysis on 209 fan comments harvested from social media. The automated analysis revealed common emotional expressions, such as associating hate with the character Betty Draper. The expert analysis revealed that many of fans’ social media conversations centred on eval-uating Don and Betty Draper as parents, spouses and people, either condemn-ing or defending them in each of these roles. Fans were evenly split between Betty supporters and detractors. Betty was most likely to be defended as a person and condemned as a mother. In contrast, three fourths of fans condemned Don. This condemnation was mostly directed towards him as a person and spouse, not as a father. We situate these findings in an interdisciplinary literature and explain the psychology behind why and how fans use fiction both to empathize with others and to explore their own realities. We explain from a positive psychology perspective that our analysis of fans’ social media commentary exemplifies how television fandom for complex dramas can be healthy and psychologically beneficial.
This is the story of the Mad Men fan phenomenon: how the show and its fans distinguished themselv... more This is the story of the Mad Men fan phenomenon: how the show and its fans distinguished themselves in a market where it’s hard to make an impression, not unlike the driven ad execs at the center of the show. In this book, four media psychologists who also just happen to be dedicated Mad Men fans explore how the show’s viewers make meaning from fictional drama. The authors also interviewed several contemporary advertising industry professionals, getting their inside view of the business in its modern guise and what they make of the show’s vision of their past. The result is cutting-edge psychological research that crunches and codes online fan commentary to understand the ways that people use the show to debate complex social issues, from sex and alcohol to gender roles, parenting, and advertising itself. What do the 1960s mean to us today, and how well does the twenty-first century measure up against that famously turbulent decade? Which characters do fans identify with—and which ones do they love to hate? How would fans unfurl the Mad Men storylines if they were in charge? What makes a good man, and has it changed over time? How should husbands and wives treat each other, and how should parents treat their children?
In answering these questions, the authors explore not just the online commentary but also Mad Men fans’ fan fiction, cosplay, cocktail making, and vintage furniture collecting. Whether tweeting as one of the main characters (or just a lowly mail clerk), setting Peggy up with the man who’ll treat her right, or figuring out just which “Mad Man” they are at heart, fans integrate the show into their lives and use it to make sense of their own choices in work, leisure, and love.
Fan fiction has received minimal attention from psychological researchers. In order to begin to f... more Fan fiction has received minimal attention from psychological researchers. In order to begin to fill that gap, this study analyzed fan fiction about the television show Mad Men to investigate how fans use fan fiction to make meaning from the source text. A sample of fan fiction stories was coded for the presence of eudaimonic and hedonic story components, the emotions expressed in the stories, the perspectives adopted by the fan writers, and plots that function as wish fulfillment. Findings indicated that fan fiction writers’ motivations were more eudaimonic than hedonic, that the stories often contained mixed or negative emotional content, that the writers frequently took the perspective of a female character in their stories, and that in some cases the stories enabled characters to achieve positive resolutions denied them by the source text. Taken together, the results point to the many ways in which fans engage with and make sense of a popular television show. Future psychological research on fan fiction of additional popular culture texts would be valuable for understanding the ways fans grapple with various elements of those texts.
How fictional stories and characters help fans understand parenting: Mad Men fans grapple with what makes a good parent
How fictional stories and characters help fans understand parenting: Mad Men fans grapple with wh... more How fictional stories and characters help fans understand parenting: Mad Men fans grapple with what makes a good parent
Pediatrics, 2017
How do children and youth come to understand what it means to be a member of a particular race, g... more How do children and youth come to understand what it means to be a member of a particular race, gender, and other social groups? How do they come to hold beliefs about the groups that they do and do not belong to? Both news stories and fictional narratives that we are tuned into as a culture tell stories about what it means to be a member of a particular social group. In this review article, we relate the latest scientific knowledge on news and entertainment media representations of race, gender and other social categories and what they tell us about how these messages are taken in and processed by developing minds. We include research on identity development, social learning about members of other groups, and both positive and negative behavioral outcomes to cultural messages about race, gender, and other social categories. We offer recommendations for stakeholders to understand the role of the media in educating youth about race, gender and other social categories.
This essay provides an overview of research and theory on narrative and its important, functional... more This essay provides an overview of research and theory on narrative and its important, functional role in human experience, including the ways people use media to interrogate their own beliefs and feelings, and derive social meaning. Thought‐provoking film, television, and books can help us make meaning of our lives and grow in ways that are important for our successful social functioning. Research reviewed here demonstrates that exposure to fiction can increase empathy and social skills and reduce prejudice. Our connection to characters and stories has been studied in various ways as extensions of the self into another, while at the same time bringing the other into the self. Bringing together disparate perspectives, we propose that connecting to story worlds involves a process of " dual empathy " —simultaneously engaging in intense personal processing while also " feeling through " characters, both of which produce benefits. Because the value of entertainment narratives may not always be well understood, we explain how those experiences can be personal, social, and can serve important adaptive functions.
Pediatrics, 2017
How do children and youth come to understand what it means to be a member of a particular race, g... more How do children and youth come to understand what it means to be a member of a particular race, gender, and other social groups? How do they come to hold beliefs about the groups that they do and do not belong to? Both news stories and fictional narratives that we are tuned into as a culture tell stories about what it means to be a member of a particular social group. In this review article, we relate the latest scientific knowledge on news and entertainment media representations of race, gender and other social categories and what they tell us about how these messages are taken in and processed by developing minds. We include research on identity development, social learning about members of other groups, and both positive and negative behavioral outcomes to cultural messages about race, gender, and other social categories. We offer recommendations for stakeholders to understand the role of the media in educating youth about race, gender and other social categories.
Engaging with Stories and Characters: Learning, Persuasion, and Transportation into Narrative Worlds
Oxford Handbooks Online, 2012
Development and validation of a measure of popular media fan identity and its relationship to well-being
Psychology of Popular Media Culture
Fan Identity Scale
PsycTESTS Dataset
Mad Men Unzipped
Mad Men Unzipped
Fan Fiction as a Vehicle for Meaning Making: Eudaimonic Appreciation, Hedonic Enjoyment, and Other Perspectives on Fan Engagement With Television
Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2016
Fan fiction has received minimal attention from psychological researchers. To begin to fill that ... more Fan fiction has received minimal attention from psychological researchers. To begin to fill that gap, we analyzed fan fiction about the TV show Mad Men to investigate how fans use fan fiction to make meaning from the source text. A sample of fan fiction stories was coded for the presence of eudaimonic and hedonic story components, the emotions expressed in the stories, the perspectives adopted by the fan writers, and plots that function as wish fulfillment. Findings indicated that fan fiction writers’ motivations were more eudaimonic than hedonic, the stories often contained mixed or negative emotional content, the writers frequently took the perspective of a female character in their stories, and in some cases the stories enabled characters to achieve positive resolutions denied them by the source text. Taken together, the results point to the many ways in which fans engage with and make sense of a popular TV show. Future psychological research on fan fiction of additional popular culture texts would be valuable for understanding the ways fans grapple with various elements of those texts.
Mad Men fans speak via social media: What fan voices reveal about the social construction of reality via dramatic fiction
The Journal of Fandom Studies, 2015
ABSTRACT Mad Men fans speak via social media: what fan voices reveal about the social constructio... more ABSTRACT Mad Men fans speak via social media: what fan voices reveal about the social construction of reality via dramatic fiction abStract Fans of complex television dramas often watch because of eudaimonic motivations – the desire to make meaning from media, to explore their own emotions and to learn about the human experience through the exploration of novel experiences that audiovisual fiction affords. This study analyses the psychology of how fans of Mad Men (2007) construct social realities via online discussions of some of the major relationships and storylines on the show. Our primary goal was to understand how fans create reality from fantasy and our focus was on social relationships and individual character analyses. Using a social science approach, we performed both a computer-automated and an expert-driven thematic analysis on 209 fan comments harvested from social media. The automated analysis revealed common emotional expressions, such as associating hate with the character Betty Draper. The expert analysis revealed that many of fans' social media conversations centred on evaluating Don and Betty Draper as parents, spouses and people, either condemning or defending them in each of these roles. Fans were evenly split between Betty
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2016
This essay provides an overview of research and theory on narrative and its important, functional... more This essay provides an overview of research and theory on narrative and its important, functional role in human experience, including the ways people use media to interrogate their own beliefs and feelings, and derive social meaning. Thought-provoking film, television, and books can help us make meaning of our lives and grow in ways that are important for our successful social functioning. Research reviewed here demonstrates that exposure to fiction can increase empathy and social skills and reduce prejudice. Our connection to
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Videos by Karen E . Shackleford
A social psychologist discusses how fictional characters have a psychological reality for fans.
Talks by Karen E . Shackleford
Karen Dill-Shackleford is a social psychologist whose expertise is on social factors related to everyday media use. From video games to social networks, from selfies to TV and film dramas, Dr. Dill-Shackleford’s work reveals both the risks and the benefits of living in a media-rich world. She is the author of How Fantasy Becomes Reality, co-author of Mad Men Unzipped, and the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology.
Narrative, Parasocial, Identification, Characters by Karen E . Shackleford
culture, but research on their role in gender socialization is
rare. A content analysis of images of video game characters
from top-selling American gaming magazines showed male
characters (83%) are more likely than female characters
(62%) to be portrayed as aggressive. Female characters are
more likely than male characters to be portrayed as
sexualized (60% versus 1%), scantily clad (39% versus
8%) and as showing a mix of sex and aggression (39 versus
1%). A survey of teens confirmed that stereotypes of male
characters as aggressive and female characters as sexually
objectified physical specimens are held even by nongamers.
Studies are discussed in terms of the role media
plays in socializing sexism.
The current investigation tested the effects of exposure to sex-typed video game characters versus images
of professional men and women on judgments and attitudes supporting aggression against women.
Results showed experimental effects of short-term exposure to stereotypical media content on sexual
harassment judgments but not on rape myth acceptance. A significant interaction indicated that men
exposed to stereotypical content made judgments that were more tolerant of a real-life instance of sexual
harassment compared to controls. Long-term exposure to video game violence was correlated with
greater tolerance of sexual harassment and greater rape myth acceptance. This data contributes to our
understanding of mass media’s role in socialization that supports violence against women
In answering these questions, the authors explore not just the online commentary but also Mad Men fans’ fan fiction, cosplay, cocktail making, and vintage furniture collecting. Whether tweeting as one of the main characters (or just a lowly mail clerk), setting Peggy up with the man who’ll treat her right, or figuring out just which “Mad Man” they are at heart, fans integrate the show into their lives and use it to make sense of their own choices in work, leisure, and love.