The Influence Movies Have on Us
Whether it is that slick action thriller or the cheezy rom-com, chances are the movies you watch influence you.
Films play a salient part in our lives. When we want to escape the stressors or constraints of daily life, we turn to this art form. The combined use of stunning visuals and captivating sound helps transport us to another realm and creates an immersive experience. Despite the role it plays, we often reduce it to be a mere source of entertainment.
In reality, however, movies play a very crucial role in impacting not just our attitudes towards people and groups, but also our behaviour and our moods as well. Throughout this article, we will consider movies from a psychological perspective by understanding how they influence the aforementioned aspects in detail.
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Do Movies Influence Our Behaviour?
Yes, they do. The movies or films we watch can influence our behaviour in various aspects. When we observe a character who resonates with us acting in a particular way, we as viewers might model that behaviour in an effort to replicate the actor's characteristics.
For example, a 2018 study showed children who watched a Disney clip featuring Lightning Mc Queen from the film Cars aiding another character on screen, exhibited similar helping behaviour towards their peers afterwards. On the other hand, the Oscar-nominated film Food, Inc., encouraged audiences to change their eating and shopping habits such as increasing their consumption of healthy food and purchase of organic produce.
The relationship between film and behaviour is however not entirely positive and can also result in negative outcomes. Take for example the discourse around violent films or the use of violence in films. Studies over time have highlighted that watching violent movies can result in aggressive behaviours. Regardless of whether the viewer is a 5-year-old child or a full-grown adult, we imitate the content we see.
While the relationship between movies and aggressive behaviour has been extensively debated in the research community, it is crucial to recognise that movies do play a significant role in shaping our behaviour, even if they might not be the only factor that does so.
Apart from violent behaviour, risky behaviours being glorified also encourages viewers to partake in similar behaviour. According to research, watching smoking in movies encourages adolescents to take up smoking. Similarly, the portrayal of drinking and reckless driving behaviours in movies too can encourage viewers to engage in these risky behaviours.
This effect occurs because we either identify with the characters or hold them in high regard as our role models. By identification, we mean the ability to put oneself in the character’s shoes or to empathise with them. In both of these situations, we begin to closely observe their behaviours and attempt to reproduce them in our own lives. We do this because we want to emulate the characteristics or traits of the character that we find alluring.
In some cases, the influences on our behaviour might not even be as overt as this. Product placements for instance are a subtle mechanism that is often used to impact audience behaviour. Whether it be the presence of swanky cars, delicious chocolates or even alcohol, movies tend to feature these products or characters tend to name-drop some big brands throughout the course of the film. This not only helps draw attention and increase brand awareness but ultimately impacts consumer behaviour towards purchasing products.
Can Movies Affect Our Attitudes?
According to research, watching movies can influence our beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes pertinent to certain social issues and marginalised communities.
Let us take a look at a few examples.
With regard to attitudes towards stigmatised groups, research has shown that watching a movie about mental illnesses helps to reduce the viewer's stigma about it. Similarly watching an emotionally charged film on immigration aids in reducing prejudice towards immigrants.
While in the context of social issues, viewing movies like The Day After Tomorrow, which portrays catastrophic weather events, can increase awareness and concern about climate change. While superhero movies like The Dark Knight, Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War played an instrumental role in shifting audiences’ attitudes regarding policies on torture, military spending and mass surveillance.
Making use of narratives may play a key role in how movies affect our opinions. Studies suggest that the use of storytelling narratives is an important persuasion tool when trying to communicate with a resistant audience. This suggests that the immersive narratives often utilised by films when combined with the emotional stimuli help in presenting information to the audience in an engaging manner which consequently influences learning.
In addition to that, the portrayal of characters can help drive changes in attitudes. A 2018 study was able to demonstrate just this effect. The authors found that after watching the Serbian film The Parade, there was a reduction in homophobia than before viewing the film. What these findings show is that the portrayal of stigmatised groups in a positive light in media has the power to reduce discrimination and negative attitudes.
Do Movies Affect How We Feel?
If you have ever flinched, giggled or wept while watching a movie, you have experienced first-hand the effect of films on how we feel. The impact of movies on our emotions has captivated psychological research and has been extensively studied.
For example, a 2011 study showed that watching a horror film resulted in an increase in feelings of fear among viewers. A similar effect was also noticed with watching a sad film, which led to experiencing sadness and aggressive movies, which led to experiencing hostility. These are some of the few studies which highlight the relationship between movies and our emotions and mood.
The cause for this relationship can be attributed to a process called the mirroring rule. It refers to our tendency to imitate the emotions of another individual which helps in not only evoking a particular emotion but also helps us empathise with them.
The mirroring rule is illustrated by the fact that when we see a smiling face on a screen, our natural tendency is to also smile, which results in feelings of happiness. Similarly, when a sad situation arises in a movie, we not only mirror the character's emotions, but this mirroring also causes us to feel the emotion that is associated with it.
With that being said, it does not necessarily mean that watching a sad movie must elicit a congruent sad emotion. Sometimes, films tend to produce paradoxical emotions as well. Does that sound confusing?
Allow me to explain further. In a 2012 study, people watched a tragic film, Angel Baby and found the movie to be enjoyable. Before you reach any conclusions, the reason for this effect was once again due to the use of compelling storytelling which allowed the audience to observe realism in the narrative consequently resulting in evoking a certain emotion.
These studies show that, when it comes to feelings, movies have the exceptional ability to elicit any desired emotion from the audience, especially when they use a captivating and compelling storyline.
We often look at movies as an activity to pass the time, but seldom do we reflect on the power this medium has in shaping how we feel, think and act. It is a powerful tool for bringing about rampant social change and shaping our perception of the world. While it helps in motivating us and inspiring us to be kinder to one another, we cannot overlook its role in initiating risky behaviours among viewers through the portrayal of smoking, drinking etc. Ultimately as an audience, we must be aware of the influence that movies have on us and make informed decisions about the content we consume.
If you are curious to learn more about how the media influences us, you should check out: Here Are Two Ways News Psychologically Impacts You
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