Evolutionary Media Psychology and Its Epistemological Foundation

Hennighausen, Christine; Schwab, Frank

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1387-9_7

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…There is in fact a growing body of theoretical and empirical research that adopts this ultimate perspective and tries to reconcile it with the aforementioned proximate explanations on digital games (e.g., Mendenhall et al, 2010a , b ; Bertozzi, 2014 ; Kasumovic et al, 2015 ; Devilly et al, 2017 ; Breuer, 2018a ; Brill et al, 2018 ; Lange and Schwab, 2018 ; Lange et al, 2018 ; Liebold et al, 2018 ; Lynch, 2018 ; Melzer, 2018 ), other media or the media in general (e.g., Ratnasingam and Ellis, 2011 ; Hennighausen and Schwab, 2015 ; Brill and Schwab, 2020 ), as well as on human culture in general (e.g., Lange et al, 2013 ). From this perspective, the underlying reasons for gender differences in media use, selection (based on preferences), and effects can, to some degree, be attributed to mate choice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Of Time Gals and Mega Men: Empirical Findings on Gender Differences in Digital Game Genre Preferences and the Accuracy of Respective Gender Stereotypes

2021

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We investigated the accuracy of gender stereotypes regarding digital game genre preferences. In Study 1, 484 female and male participants rated their preference for 17 game genres (gender differences). In Study 2, another sample of 226 participants rated the extent to which the same genres were presumably preferred by women or men (gender stereotypes). We then compared the results of both studies in order to determine the accuracy of the gender stereotypes. Study 1 revealed actual gender differences for most genres—mostly of moderate size. Study 2 revealed substantial gender stereotypes about genre preferences. When comparing the results from both studies, we found that gender stereotypes were accurate in direction for most genres. However, they were, to some degree, inaccurate in size: For most genres, gender stereotypes overestimated the actual gender difference with a moderate mean effect size.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Of Time Gals and Mega Men: Empirical Findings on Gender Differences in Digital Game Genre Preferences and the Accuracy of Respective Gender Stereotypes

2021

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“…For example, from parental investment theory (Trivers, 1972), it can be predicted that “women prefer media contents dealing with issues of mate choice, partner loyalty, and the loss of a partner … [and] men are more likely to select media contents dealing with kin protection, rivalry, status, power, and the acquisition and maintenance of resources” (Hennighausen and Schwab, 2015, p. 144). In a sample of movie visitors, Schwab (2010) replicated the finding that women prefer melodramatic and romantic movies, whereas men prefer action movies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tears or Fears? Comparing Gender Stereotypes about Movie Preferences to Actual Preferences

2017

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This study investigated the accuracy of gender-specific stereotypes about movie-genre preferences for 17 genres. In Study 1, female and male participants rated the extent to which 17 movie genres are preferred by women or men. In Study 2, another sample of female and male participants rated their own preference for each genre. There were three notable results. First, Study 1 revealed the existence of gender stereotypes for the majority of genres (i.e., for 15 of 17 genres). Second, Study 2 revealed the existence of actual gender differences in preferences for the majority of genres (i.e., for 11 of 17 genres). Third, in order to assess the accuracy of gender stereotypes on movie preferences, we compared the results of both studies and found that the majority of gender stereotypes were accurate in direction, but inaccurate in size. In particular, the stereotypes overestimated actual gender differences for the majority of movie genres (i.e., 10 of 17). Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

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“…Traditionally, communication scientists have used a sociocultural perspective to explain the proximate psychological antecedents and consequences of media selection and influence, but have neglected the adaptive function by not investigating communication phenomena from an evolutionary perspective (Hennighausen & Schwab, 2015; Ng, 2016; Piazza & Ingram, 2009, 2015; Sherry, 2004). Following the recommendation of Sherry (2004) to consider media use and effect as the outcome of both nature and nurture, the present study is among the first to empirically examine why sensational news was selected over evolutionary time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Human Alarm System for Sensational News, Online News Headlines, and Associated Generic Digital Footprints: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

Zhao

2018

Communication Research

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By adopting the uses and gratifications approach to understand two evolutionary needs—the environmental surveillance need and social involvement need—this study investigated the use of alarm and prosocial words in news headlines and the associated generic digital footprints. We analyzed over 170,000 online news headlines and the number of associated clicks and “likes” for each news story on an online news platform. Our results support the idea of a human alarm system for sensational news as a psychological survival mechanism designed to detect and pay attention to threatening news such as catastrophes and diseases. News headlines with alarm words indirectly attracted more “likes,” indicating a concern with survival, through an increased number of clicks to select that news item. Furthermore, the results of a conditional indirect effect model showed that while online readers selectively clicked on news headlines with alarm words, the presence of a prosocial word in the headline increased the likelihood that readers would “like” it.

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Evolutionary Media Psychology and Its Epistemological Foundation

Cited by 8 publications

References 46 publications

Of Time Gals and Mega Men: Empirical Findings on Gender Differences in Digital Game Genre Preferences and the Accuracy of Respective Gender Stereotypes

Of Time Gals and Mega Men: Empirical Findings on Gender Differences in Digital Game Genre Preferences and the Accuracy of Respective Gender Stereotypes

Tears or Fears? Comparing Gender Stereotypes about Movie Preferences to Actual Preferences

The Human Alarm System for Sensational News, Online News Headlines, and Associated Generic Digital Footprints: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

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