Affective Disposition Theory and Disposition Theory

Abstract

Affective disposition theory (ADT) explains how and why audience members enjoy entertainment narratives. More specifically, ADT describes (i) how viewers form affective dispositions toward media characters, (ii) how doing so triggers anticipatory emotional reactions to the unfolding events involving those characters, and (iii) how those emotional responses and the outcomes portrayed result in enjoyment. ADT contends that enjoyment increases the more characters experiencing positive outcomes are liked and the more characters experiencing negative ones are disliked. Conversely, enjoyment suffers the more characters experiencing negative outcomes are liked and the more characters experiencing positive outcomes are disliked. Morality and empathy play key roles in these processes.

Modeling the antihero narrative enjoyment process.

“…One factor has recently emerged as a possible explanation: identification. In fact, a few ADT-informed studies (Janicke & Raney, 2015; Raney et al, 2009; Tsay & Krakowiak, 2011) have tentatively shown that identification is an important variable through which dispositions are formed toward the antihero.…”

“…In fact, preliminary research suggests that, among fans, enjoyment of an episode of the TV series 24 increased the more that fans judged the lead character Jack Bauer to be unattractive and immoral (Janicke & Raney, 2015). One prominent explanation (Krakowiak & Tsay, 2011; Raney et al, 2009; Tsay & Krakowiak, 2011) is that viewers actually recast the immoral behavior as moral—or at least, as justified—through the process of moral disengagement (Bandura, 1999).…”

“…Villains are morally bankrupt and, thus, despised. In the past few years, though, entertainment researchers have turned their attention to the appeal and enjoyment of so-called antihero narratives, those featuring protagonists whose conduct is at best morally ambiguous, questionable, and at times unjustifiable (Krakowiak & Tsay-Vogel, 2013; Raney & Janicke, 2013; Raney, Schmid, Niemann, & Ellensohn, 2009; Shafer & Raney, 2012; Tsay & Krakowiak, 2011). These characters challenge the basic ADT explanation of enjoyment.…”

“…From an ADT standpoint, such characters—because of their moral flaws—should be met with less positive dispositions than those in traditional hero narratives, resulting in less enjoyment. However, personal experience tells us and recent research has supported that antihero narratives are greatly enjoyed, sometimes even more than hero narratives (Krakowiak & Oliver, 2012; Raney et al, 2009; Shafer & Raney, 2012). These studies have identified several factors—identification, moral disengagement, certain personality traits—that make the formula for antihero narrative enjoyment different from traditional hero narratives.…”

“…These studies have identified several factors—identification, moral disengagement, certain personality traits—that make the formula for antihero narrative enjoyment different from traditional hero narratives. In doing so, these studies have relied upon a variety of narrative formats: text (Krakowiak & Tsay-Vogel, 2013; Tsay & Krakowiak, 2011), TV series (Janicke & Raney, 2015), and short video clips (Raney et al, 2009). With insight from and building upon these related-but-disconnected studies, we aim to examine feature-length films in an attempt to offer a unified model of the antihero enjoyment process.…”