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Journal of Media ©Banerjee et
2008 Hogrefeal.:&Vol.
2008; Film

The Role of Gender and

Sensation Seeking in Film Choice
Exploring Mood and Arousal
Smita C. Banerjee1, Kathryn Greene2, Marina Krcmar3,
Zhanna Bagdasarov2, and Dovile Ruginyte2
University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK, 2Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA,
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Abstract. This study demonstrates the significance of individual difference factors, particularly gender and sensation seeking, in predict-
ing media choice (examined through hypothetical descriptions of films that participants anticipated they would view). This study used a
2 (Positive mood/negative mood) × 2 (High arousal/low arousal) within-subject design with 544 undergraduate students recruited from
a large northeastern university in the United States. Results showed that happy films and high arousal films were preferred over sad films
and low-arousal films, respectively. In terms of gender differences, female viewers reported a greater preference than male viewers for
happy-mood films. Also, male viewers reported a greater preference for high-arousal films compared to female viewers, and female
viewers reported a greater preference for low-arousal films compared to male viewers. Finally, high sensation seekers reported a prefer-
ence for high-arousal films. Implications for research design and importance of exploring media characteristics are discussed.

Keywords: gender differences, movie mood, movie arousal, movie characteristics, sensation seeking

Introduction individuals’ needs, which further influence individuals’

need for gratification. These gratifications may be obtained
from a variety of sources; however, one frequently used
Much research now suggests that media preferences are source is mass media. One highly researched personality
influenced by a host of demographic, personality, social, factor is sensation seeking, which has been linked to vari-
and psychological variables (e.g., Kraaykamp & van Eijck, ous forms of media consumption and attraction (e.g.,
2005; Nabi, Finnerty, Domschke, & Hull, 2006; Sargent, Greene & Krcmar, 2005; Hoffner & Levine, 2005; Slater,
Zillmann, & Weaver, 1998). For instance, Sargent et al. 2003). Although several studies have examined the predic-
(1998) concluded that when watching televised sports, men tive power of gender and sensation seeking, one problem
extract gratification mostly from seeing athletic confronta- inherent in these studies is that survey research on media
tions that emphasize combative coordination, whereas preferences cannot surmount the problem of confounds.
women are more gratified when seeing competition that For example, action films, which may attract high sensation
avoids overt aggressiveness and highlights the stylish seekers (HSS), not only contain exciting plots, but they fea-
movement of individual bodies in terms of beauty. Other ture action stars (e.g., Vin Diesel, Sylvester Stallone) as
researchers have concluded that personality factors such as well. Although these studies point to the importance of re-
sensation seeking can act as predictors for media prefer- searching individual differences in explaining viewer pref-
ences (Conway & Rubin, 1991; Krcmar & Greene, 1999). erence of certain genres, they are less well suited to explain
These studies demonstrate the significance of individual which particular media characteristics make these
difference factors in predicting media choice. films/television programs so popular. Movies or television
Although the theoretical approaches of these studies of- programs are popular not only because of the content or
ten vary, at least one approach has been successfully uti- genre but also because of the actors, significance, and nov-
lized in linking personality and media preferences (e.g., elty. Few, if any, studies have manipulated movie charac-
Greene & Krcmar, 2005; Finn, 1997; Krcmar & Greene, teristics in order to experimentally explore the role of sen-
1999). The uses and gratifications perspective proposes sation seeking in predicting media choice.
that not only do we utilize media to meet various social and Therefore, in the present study, we utilized an experi-
psychological needs, but media use motivations may mod- mental design to explore how gender and sensation seeking
erate media effects (e.g., Haridakis, 2002). Specifically, the may be linked to specific media characteristics. Specifical-
approach predicts that personality factors may influence ly, movie descriptions were systematically manipulated to

© 2008 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers Journal of Media Psychology 2008; Vol. 20(3):97–105
DOI 10.1027/1864-1105.20.3.97
98 S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences

vary the mood and the arousal level of the film while hold- tonio, and Lewis (1998) argue that “women’s films” are films
ing constant descriptions of character and plot. The method in which the story is told from the woman’s point of view
of creating hypothetical movie descriptions has been used (e.g., The Piano, Muriel’s Wedding), the woman is the clear
in prior research (e.g., Oliver, Weaver, & Sargent, 2000) to protagonist or heroine (e.g., Jodie Foster or Kate Winslet
study the link between other viewer characteristics and me- movies), or the story centers around women and women’s
dia choices. issues (e.g., The Color Purple, Beaches). “Men’s films,” on
the other hand, are films that focus more on action, sex (rather
than romance), and competition (Fischoff, 1994). However,
Film Characteristics factors other than action vs. romance or male vs. female pro-
tagonist must influence film preferences.
Many aspects of a film may cause it to appeal to certain indi-
viduals and not to others. For example, the emotional content
of the film (e.g., sad vs. happy films) and/or the story line Gender Differences and Film Mood
(e.g., relational or communal themes) may affect viewer pref-
erences. In fact, these characteristics have been examined to Gender preferences for happy and sad films have been in-
explain preference for specific types of films (e.g., Hoffner & vestigated in prior research (e.g., Oliver, Sargent, & Weav-
Cantor, 1991; Oliver et al., 2000). Despite both the empirical er, 1998; Oliver et al., 2000), with men and women report-
(e.g., Hoffner & Cantor, 1991) and theoretical arguments (see ing different preferences based on content. For instance,
Vorderer, Klimmt, & Ritterfeld, 2004) made to support these Oliver et al. (2000) examined sex and gender identity dif-
claims, a majority of the research with adults has not manip- ferences in overall enjoyment and anticipated enjoyment
ulated film characteristics, particularly film mood and arous- of sad films, particularly when the film theme and charac-
al. For the present study, we conceptualized film mood and ter’s gender were varied. Results showed that responses to
arousal as based on dimensional models of emotion (e.g., sad films may in part reflect an interaction of both viewer
Lang, 1995; Larsen & Diener, 1992). Dimensional models and film-related characteristics. Females reported enjoy-
define emotions as a two-dimensional space, as coordinates ment of sad films, particularly the ones that had a commu-
of valence and arousal. The valence dimension (henceforth nal theme as well (films focusing on heartache that resulted
termed film mood) refers to the hedonic quality or pleasant- from relational tragedies such as dissolution of romantic
ness of an affective experience and ranges from unpleasant relationships, difficulties in family relationships, or the
(sad) to pleasant (happy). The arousal dimension (henceforth death of loved ones; Oliver et al., 2000).
termed film arousal) refers to the level of activation associat- Despite the evidence discussed above, the noted studies
ed with the emotional response and ranges from very excited tended to utilize actual films, which, once again, may con-
(high-arousal) to very calm (low-arousal) (see Ravaja, 2004). found emotion (e.g., sadness) with female characters (e.g.,
However, research manipulating the mood and arousal levels Steel Magnolias). Hence, it is important to examine the in-
of films or film descriptions is scant. Given that particular dependent effect of gender on movie mood preferences.
film characteristics might be important predictors of viewer Therefore, based on past research on gender and preference
preference, we begin by asking the following research ques- for sad movies, we hypothesize the following in an exper-
tions: imental design:

– RQ1a: Overall, how will viewer preferences vary depend- – H1a: Gender will be related to film preference such that
ing on levels of film mood? female viewers will report a preference for negative-
– RQ1b: Overall, how will viewer preferences vary de- mood films, and male viewers will report a preference for
pending on levels of film arousal? positive-mood films.

Additionally, we wanted to examine viewer preferences

based on the interaction between film mood and film arous- Gender Differences and Film Arousal
al. Thus, we asked,
Gender of the participant has informed us about viewer
– RQ1c: Overall, is there an interaction between film mood preferences such as preference for specific television pro-
and film arousal on viewer preferences? grams (e.g., Brown & Pardun, 2004), and exposure to re-
alistic crime shows and contact sports (Krcmar & Greene,
1999). In fact, Krcmar and Greene (1999) investigated both
Gender Differences in Film Preferences gender and sensation seeking, finding that those higher in
sensation seeking and males were more likely to prefer cer-
The common wisdom in media production is that men and tain kinds of violent media. However, they noted that the
women enjoy different types of films, and this has been sup- pattern of results suggested that arousing media, and not
ported by genre and content classification (see Gantz & Wen- violence per se, may be one determining factor in linking
ner, 1991; Tamborini, Stiff, & Zillmann, 1987). Fischoff, An- these variables to media choice. Other research on gender

Journal of Media Psychology 2008; Vol. 20(3):97–105 © 2008 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers
S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences 99

and arousing media that focused on sexual media suggests 1983). Research has shown that HSS prefer emotionally
that not only are men more attracted to arousing media, intense media stimuli, regardless of whether these elicited
males are also more likely to experience physiological positive or negative emotions (see Stephenson, 2003); LSS
arousal as a result of exposure (see Grabe & Kamhawi, prefer neutral and positive stimuli (see Zuckerman, 1983;
2006; Janssen, Carpenter, & Graham, 2003). Therefore, we Zaleski, 1984). Jager and Bartsch (2006) summarize that
predict the following: the strength of the sensation seeking motive has been
shown to influence subjects’ emotional preferences. In par-
– H1b: Gender will be related to film preference such that ticular, research has shown that HSS report exposure to and
female viewers will report a preference for low-arousal preference for arousing media content such as violent me-
films, and male viewers will report a preference for high- dia (Greene & Krcmar, 2005), contact sports, real crime
arousal films. shows (Krcmar & Greene, 1999), and horror films (Hoffner
& Levine, 2005). Based on the preceding discussion, we
hypothesize the following:
Sensation Seeking and Film Preferences
– H2: Sensation seeking will be positively associated with
Sensation seeking is defined as the need for novel, com- arousing films such that HSS will report a preference for
plex, and ambiguous experiences and the willingness to high-arousal films, and LSS will report a preference for
take risks to obtain those experiences (Zuckerman, 1983). low-arousal films.
As compared to low sensation seekers (LSS), HSS report
attraction to heavy metal music (Arnett, 1991), exposure to
and preference for violent media (Greene & Krcmar, 2005),
contact sports and real crime shows (Krcmar & Greene, Method
1999), horror films (Hoffner & Levine, 2005), and the use
of violent media content and violent website content (Slat- Participants
er, 2003). However, it is unclear if sensation seeking (a The present study was a part of a larger project designed to
viewer characteristic) will affect film choices when media examine the relationship between media viewing choices
characteristics, particularly levels of mood and arousal, are and viewers’ moods. In the spring of 2006, 544 participants
systematically varied in film descriptions. were recruited from undergraduate communication classes
(44% males, 56% females) from a large northeastern uni-
versity in the United States. Participants’ ages ranged from
Sensation Seeking and Film Mood
18 to 21 years (M = 19.86, SD = .46). In terms of ethnicity,
participants were primarily Caucasian (55%), Asian (18%),
Research has shown that depressed people have lower
African American (9%), and other groups < 5% each.
scores of sensation seeking than nondepressed people (Car-
ton, Jouvent, Bungener, & Widlocher, 1992), suggesting
that not only is sensation seeking biologically based, but
the construct may be related to individuals’ interactions Design
with their stimulus environment. Furthermore, sensation
This study used a 2 (Positive mood, negative mood) × 2
seeking has been found to be related to perceived message
(High arousal, low arousal) within-subject design to exam-
sensation value. Specifically, the formal and content fea-
ine viewer preferences for hypothetical film descriptions
tures (audio, visual, and format) of a message contribute to
that the participants anticipated viewing.
the subjective message sensation evaluations (Morgan,
Palmgreen, Stephenson, Hoyle, & Lorch, 2003), with HSS
preferring messages with greater sensation value (Dono- Measurement Instruments
hew, Lorch, & Palmgreen, 1991). Despite this evidence,
prior studies do not specify whether HSS or LSS will be This study measured the following variables: film prefer-
drawn more toward sad or happy media content. Therefore, ence and sensation seeking.
we asked the following research question:
Film Preference
– RQ2: Will LSS and HSS report different preferences for
films varying in mood levels? In order to assess film preference, the title and description
of each film were created by the authors and designed to
vary how exciting and arousing the film would be and also
Sensation Seeking and Film Arousal how happy or sad the film would be. During the pretest,
participants (N = 79) read ten movie descriptions (random-
HSS have lower arousal levels and require more exciting ized order) and rated each one on a series of eight adjectives
and novel messages to attract their attention (Zuckerman, (e.g., happy, calm) with responses ranging from 1 (de-

100 S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences

scribes the movie very well) to 5 (does not describe the At the end of the questionnaire participants were given a
movie at all). Based on analysis of the pretested ten film description of four different movies and asked to rate how
descriptions, four descriptions for the main study were se- much they would like to watch each of the movies. The
lected. Results of the pretest indicated that there were no instructions stated, “You will have the chance to watch
order effects for the presentation of movie descriptions; clips from films. Please rate the following movie descrip-
therefore, all the participants read the same four movie de- tions on how much you would like to watch them. How
scriptions in the same order (Film 1 to Film 4).1 The goal much would you like to see each one?”
was to find the four films that best exemplified high and Upon completion of the survey, the participants were
low arousal and happy vs. sad affect. Film descriptions asked to enter yet another room, where a researcher dis-
crossed mood and arousal, each with two levels leading to closed to them that the study involved the effect of movie
four films in all (Happy-High; Happy-Low; Sad-Low; Sad- mood and movie arousal on movie choice/preference. They
High). were also told that there would be no movie viewing. As
During the main study, participants were offered the op- one form of manipulation check, the debriefing researcher
portunity to view clips from these films and asked to indi- collected data on reactions of participants at this time, and
cate how much they would like to view each of the films more than 80% of participants expressed surprise that they
on a 7-point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 6 (very would not be watching/rating a movie, asking questions
much). Thus, a higher score indicated greater desire to see such as “Where do we go to watch the movie?” The par-
that movie. ticipants were provided with a debriefing form and given
an extra credit for participation. The total time to complete
Sensation Seeking the study took approximately 30 minutes.

A short version of the sensation seeking scale (Hoyle, Ste-

phenson, Palmgreen, Lorch, & Donohew, 2002) based on
Form V of Zuckerman’s (1994) sensation seeking scale Results
was used in this study. This measure used a 5-point Likert-
type scale with 8 items and responses ranged from 1 Analyses
(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Reliability was
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with level
moderate (α = .78), and factor analysis indicated a single
of significance set at p = .05 to examine the hypotheses/re-
factor structure (eigenvalue = 3.21, 40.14% variance) with
search questions. The results will be organized by hypoth-
seven items loading greater than 0.5. Participants’ respons-
eses/research questions and presented next.2
es were summed and averaged to create a composite score,
with higher scores indicating higher levels of overall sen-
sation seeking (M = 3.33, SD = .73).
Research Questions 1a–c

Research Questions 1a, 1b, and 1c examined variations in

Procedure viewer preferences depending on levels of film mood, film
arousal, and their interaction respectively. A two-way with-
The study was administered outside of classtime. The ques- in-subject analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted
tionnaire consisted of two sections: The first section includ- (with follow-up paired sample t-tests) to examine the ef-
ed measurement of sociopsychological variables, a variety fects of film mood and film arousal on film preferences.3
of demographic measures, and the manipulation measure. The film mood main effect was significant (Wilk’s Λ =

1 The following are descriptions of the films offered for viewing in the main study: (1) At sunset. A meditative tale about a young man who
leaves his hectic life in Paris and moves to the French countryside. Surrounded by beauty and nature, he settles down into a serene and
happy life, and befriends an elderly local man. Gradually, their peaceful friendship helps each of them understand himself a bit better and
brings renewed joy into both of their lives. (2) Town of shadows. An 18-year-old Maria lives with her sick mother in a small and somber
town with little going on in her life. She does not have any friends and feels lonely and isolated. She spends her melancholic days caring
for her mother and reading. When her mother dies, Maria tries to find a job and start her life anew but her pessimistic outlook makes this
even harder. (3) Ghosts. The Smith family is thrilled to move into a 200-year-old house that they have inherited after their relatives’ death
in the beautiful countryside. Soon after they settle down, however, their lives are disrupted by weird noises, movements and red, undeci-
pherable writings on the walls every morning. An old man next door tells the Smiths that the house was built in the place of the old cemetery
and has been haunted ever since, but they are determined to stay, despite their mounting terror. (4) Hate. A stimulating and thrilling story
about the antagonized relationships between the groups of immigrants and local Los Angeles youth. The hidden discrimination and economic
disadvantages force the angry minority groups into open hatred and riots, making the disparate American society rethink its national identity
and politics.
2 Several analyses of order effects in the main study were performed. Results indicated no significant effect; thus results are available from
the authors and not presented for the purpose of simplicity.
3 To conduct follow-up analyses, films were grouped together to form four categories: happy movies (Film 1 + Film 3), sad movies (Film 2
+ Film 4), high-arousal movies (Film 3 + Film 4), and low-arousal movies (Film 1 + Film 2).

S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences 101

.89; F(1, 541) = 66.11; p = .001; η2 = .11), with happy- also significant (Wilk’s Λ = .91; F(1, 536) = 56.26; p =
mood films (M = 3.08, SD = 1.15) preferred more than .001; η2 = .10). Follow-up analyses revealed that men (M
sad-mood films (M = 2.58, SD = 1.22). The film arousal = 3.94, SD = 1.18) significantly preferred the high-arousal
main effect was also significant (Wilk’s Λ = .56; F(1, 541) films (t(536) = 4.49, p = .001) more than women (M = 3.41,
= 429.99; p = .001; η2 = .44), with high-arousal films (M SD = 1.49). However, the trend was reversed for low-arous-
= 3.64, SD = 1.39) preferred more than low-arousal films al films, and results revealed that women (M = 2.29, SD =
(M = 2.02, SD = 1.23). 1.15) significantly preferred the low-arousal films (t(536)
Finally, the interaction between film mood and film = –5.76, p = .001) more than men (M = 1.69, SD = 1.24).
arousal was also significant (Wilk’s Λ = .89; F(1, 541) = Thus, the overall results showed that Hypothesis 1a was
68.11; p = .001; η2 = .11). Six paired sample t-tests were not supported. In fact the results were in opposite direction
performed to examine the differences between the four of the hypothesis. Female viewers reported a greater pref-
films. The happy-mood high-arousal film (M = 3.66, SD = erence for happy-mood films compared with male viewers.
1.75) was preferred over happy-mood low-arousal (M = There were no gender differences for sad-mood films. Hy-
2.51, SD = 1.64) and sad-mood low-arousal (M = 1.54, SD pothesis 1b was supported; male viewers reported a greater
= 1.41) films. Similarly, the sad-mood high-arousal film (M preference for high-arousal films than female viewers, and
= 3.63, SD = 1.71) was preferred over both happy-mood female viewers reported a greater preference for low-arous-
low-arousal and sad-mood low-arousal films; the happy- al films than male viewers.
mood high-arousal film was not statistically different from
the sad-mood high-arousal film. The film that was least
preferred was the sad-mood low-arousal film as compared
with the other films. Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 2
Thus, the results for Research Question 1a showed that
happy-mood films are preferred over sad-mood films. Re-
Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 2 explored the effects
sults for Research Question 1b showed that high-arousal
of the interactions between film mood and sensation seek-
films are preferred over low-arousal films. Finally for Re-
search Question 1c, the results showed that the happy- ing as well as between film arousal and sensation seeking
mood high-arousal film and the sad-mood high-arousal trait of the viewer on film preference respectively. A two-
film were the most preferred films. way within-subject analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
conducted (with follow-up independent sample t-tests) to
examine the effects of film mood and film arousal on film
Hypotheses 1a and 1b preferences with sensation seeking as the between-subject
variable (see Note 3). In order to carry out the ANOVA, the
Hypotheses 1a and 1b explored the effects of the interac- sensation seeking scale was median split to create two cat-
tions between film mood and gender as well as between egories: LSS and HSS.5
film arousal and gender of the viewer on film preference The interaction between sensation seeking and film
respectively. A two-way within-subject analysis of vari- mood was not significant (Wilk’s Λ = 1.00; F(1, 530) = .05;
ance (ANOVA) was conducted (with follow-up independ- p = .82; η2 = .00), while the interaction between sensation
ent sample t-tests) to examine the effects of film mood and seeking and film arousal was significant (Wilk’s Λ = .96;
film arousal on film preferences with gender as the be- F(1, 530) = 20.93; p = .001; η2 = .04). Follow-up analyses
tween-subject variable.4 revealed that HSS (M = 3.95, SD = 1.23) significantly pre-
The interaction between gender and film mood was sig- ferred high-arousal films (t(530) = –4.66, p = .001) more
nificant (Wilk’s Λ = .98; F(1, 536) = 12.17; p = .001; η2 = than LSS (M = 3.39 SD = 1.47). The difference between
.02). Follow-up analyses revealed that women (M = 3.20, HSS and LSS with regards to low-arousal films was not
SD = 1.12) significantly preferred the happy-mood films significant.
(t(536) = –2.49, p = .01) more than men (M = 2.95, SD = Overall, the results for Research Question 2 were incon-
1.18). The difference between men and women with re- clusive. Hypothesis 2 was partially supported. HSS report-
gards to sad-mood films was not significant. ed a preference for high-arousal films, but LSS did not re-
The interaction between gender and film arousal was port a preference for low-arousal films.6

4 ANOVA results for the film mood main effect, film arousal main effect, and interaction between film mood and film arousal were similar
to results reported for Hypotheses 1a, 1b, and 1c and are thus not repeated in this section.
5 We examined the effect of sensation seeking (M = 3.33, SD = .73) by exploring two methods. We created HSS and LSS groups by (a) using
the median split method and (b) focusing only on lower and upper quartiles. The patterns of results with the two procedures were similar,
and thus we reported results that were obtained using the median split method.
6 In addition, a two-way within-subject analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of film mood and film arousal
on film preferences with participant gender and sensation seeking as the between-subject variables. The interaction between gender, sensation
seeking, and film mood was not significant (Wilk’s Λ = .99; F(1, 525) = .71; p = .40; η2 = .00). Similarly, the interaction between gender,
sensation seeking, and film arousal was not significant (Wilk’s Λ = .99; F(1, 525) = 1.16; p = .28; η2 = .00).

102 S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences

Discussion Third, male viewers reported a greater preference for high-

arousal films compared to female viewers, and female view-
ers reported a greater preference for low-arousal films com-
This study utilized a within-subject experimental design to pared to male viewers. This finding was not surprising, given
explore how gender and sensation seeking may be useful that male viewers are attracted to arousing media and expe-
in predicting media choice, particularly for films differing rience physiological arousal as a result of exposure to arous-
in levels of mood and arousal. Specifically, movie descrip- ing fare (e.g., Grabe & Kamhawi, 2006; Janssen et al., 2003).
tions were systematically manipulated to vary the mood of Thus, this finding was consistent with prior research and adds
the films and the arousal level of the films while holding to research on gender and media preference.
constant the descriptions of characters and plots. Fourth, HSS reported a preference for high-arousal
First, consistent with prior research (e.g., Goldberg & films, but LSS did not report a preference for low-arousal
Gorn, 1987; Murry & Dacin, 1996), the results showed that films. This finding is consistent with prior research that
happy films and high-arousal films were preferred over sad demonstrates HSS’ preference for exciting and novel mes-
films and low-arousal films, respectively. Goldberg and Gorn sages (e.g., Stephenson, 2003). High sensation value mes-
(1987) reason that positive emotions influence evaluations sages typically reflect some combination of the following
via simple decision heuristics, while negative emotions mo- characteristics: novel, unusual format, unusual uses of for-
tivate detailed analyses of the emoting event or stimulus. mal features such as extreme close-ups and sound effects,
Therefore, it follows that when faced with a choice between a greater frequency of editing, faster and more frequent
happy and sad media, people will lean toward the happy stim- movement, more intense music, and higher levels of sus-
uli; the experience with happy media is expected to generate pense and drama. Overall, HSS prefer ads that contain
similar emotions in them. Similarly, high-arousal films were these characteristics, while LSS generally prefer messages
preferred over low-arousal films because of anticipated pos- with lower levels and fewer of these features (Donohew et
itive feelings that were generated. al., 1991). However, because in the present study we did
Second, contrary to expectations and contradicting prior not look at specific characteristics (such as sound, effects,
research (see Oliver et al., 2000), female viewers reported etc.) that would make the film more or less arousing, the
a greater preference for happy-mood films as compared to low-arousal film was not perceived as such by LSS. Possi-
their male counterparts. There were no gender differences bly for this reason, we expect that LSS did not report a
for sad-mood films. Oliver et al. (2000) have reasoned that preference for low-arousal films.
gender difference in enjoyment of sad films is more pro-
nounced when the films feature relational themes rather
than agentic or less relational themes (loss of resources,
unattained goals, etc.). In the hypothetical descriptions that
Limitations, Future Research, and
we used, there was a mix of relational and agentic themes Conclusions
in movie descriptions. Because the happy film descriptions
focused on bonding, growing relationships, and family sur- Whereas the present study offered insight into gender and
vival in a haunted place, females reported greater prefer- personality differences in preference for films differing in
ence for them. Therefore, theme could be a confounding mood and arousal, several limitations of the study should be
issue in the present study. However, by focusing on hypo- kept in mind. Data were collected from a large northeastern
thetical movie descriptions, we accounted for several other university in the United States and do not represent the per-
confounds present in past research of “real” movies or tele- fect description of an average North American moviegoer
vision programs such as popularity, star appeal, or novelty. (Motion Picture Association, 2007). Although movie de-
For instance, Krcmar and Greene (2000) presented partic- scriptions were pretested and care was taken to incorporate
ipants with a list of television programs in seven different varying levels of moods and arousal, movie themes were not
genres and asked them to indicate how frequently they manipulated. Therefore, it is possible that these themes were
watched each of the programs. Similarly, Eyal and Rubin attended to more by the participants and choices were made
(2003) presented participants with a list of television pro- based on them. Future research could use hypothetical movie
grams with a V (violent rating) and asked them to indicate descriptions with similar themes and present them to partici-
the frequency of exposure. Although these studies indicate pants in a between-subject experimental design. This would
the importance of studying individual differences in ex- allow for even greater control over confounds, a limitation of
plaining viewer preference, the use of survey data makes it the present study. Also in the present study, the four film
difficult to examine the exact characteristic of media pro- descriptions provided one exemplar in each category (i.e.,
grams that make them so popular. By using hypothetical high-arousal sad-mood or low-arousal happy-mood). Future
movie descriptions, this study has taken a different ap- research could utilize more exemplars in each category to
proach to exploring the mood and arousal aspects of films. further validate the findings.
However, the findings of this study indicate that movie The present study sought to examine gender and a person-
themes and mood clearly interact with gender in complex ality characteristic (sensation seeking) as they related to mov-
ways and thereby affect movie viewing preference. ie choice, but we did not systematically examine other psy-

S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences 103

chological and social environments that affect media use Sensation seeking and depressive mood. Personality and In-
(e.g., Finn, 1997; Krcmar & Greene, 1999). Future research dividual Differences, 13, 843–849.
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104 S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences

television exposure and adolescent risk taking. Media Psychol- Smita C. Banerjee, PhD, is a Se-
ogy, 2, 195–217. nior Lecturer in the Lincoln
Lang, P.J. (1995). The emotion probe: Studies of motivation and School of Health and Social
attention. The American Psychologist, 50, 372–385. Care at the University of Lin-
Larsen, R.J., & Diener, E. (1992). Problems and promises with coln in the UK. She received
the circumplex model of emotion. Review of Personality and her doctorate in Health Com-
Social Psychology, 13, 25–59. munication in 2005 from Rut-
Morgan, S.E., Palmgreen, P., Stephenson, M.T., Hoyle, R.H., & gers University, New Bruns-
Lorch, E.P. (2003). The relationship between message sensa- wick, NJ, USA. Her research
tion value and perceived message sensation value: The effect interests lie in the area of per-
of formal message features on subjective evaluations of anti- suasion, especially in the con-
drug public service announcements. Journal of Communica- text of health communication
tion, 53, 512–526. and media effects. Her research
Motion Picture Association. (2007). 2006 US movie attendance program has received two top
study: Worldwide market research and analysis. Retrieved on paper awards, and her disserta-
May 5, 2007, from Motion Picture Association Website tion received the 2005 joint Outstanding Dissertation Award in
http://www.mpaa.org/researchStatistics.asp Health Communication from the National and International Com-
Murry, J.P., & Dacin, P.A. (1996). Cognitive moderators of neg- munication Associations.
ative-emotion effects: Implications for understanding media
context. Journal of Consumer Research, 22, 439–447.
Smita C. Banerjee
Nabi, R.L., Finnerty, K., Domschke, T., & Hull, S. (2006). Does
23 Carisbrooke Drive
misery love company? Exploring the therapeutic effects of TV
Mapperley Park
viewing on regretted experiences. Journal of Communication,
Nottingham, NG3 5DS
56, 689–706.
Oliver, M.B., Sargent, S., & Weaver, J.B. (1998). The impact of
Tel. +44 15 22 88 61 47
sex and gender role self-perception on affective reactions to
Fax +44 1522 88 60 26
different types of film. Sex Roles, 38, 45–62.
E-mail sbanerjee@lincoln.ac.uk
Oliver, M.B., Weaver, J.B., & Sargent, S. (2000). An examination
of factors related to sex differences in enjoyment of sad films.
Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 44, 282–300. Kathryn Greene, PhD, is an As-
Ravaja, N. (2004). Contributions of psychophysiology to media sociate Professor in the Depart-
research: Review and recommendations. Media Psychology, 6, ment of Communication at
193–235. Rutgers University, New
Sargent, S.L., Zillmann, D., & Weaver, J.B. (1998). The gender Brunswick, NJ, USA. She
gap in the enjoyment of televised sports. Journal of Sport & works in the area of health com-
Social Issues, 22, 46–64. munication, where her research
Shugan, S. (2000, October). Recent research in the motion picture foci explore the role of commu-
industry. Proceedings of the Business and Economics Scholars nication in health decision-
Workshop in Motion Picture Industry Studies, 65–86. making. Her research received
Slater, M. (2003). Alienation, aggression, and sensation seeking awards such as the National
as predictors of adolescent use of violent film, computer, and Communication Association’s
website content. Journal of Communication, 53, 105–121. Outstanding Dissertation
Stephenson, M.T. (2003). Examining adolescents’ responses to Award (1993), several top inter-
antimarijuana PSAs. Human Communication Research, 29, national, national, and regional
343–369. paper awards, and the Southern States Communication Associa-
tion’s Early Career Research Award (1997). She has published
Tamborini, R., Stiff, J., & Zillmann, D. (1987). Preference for
graphic horror featuring male versus female victimization: over 60 articles and chapters, mostly focusing on health commu-
nication, in numerous interdisciplinary journals. Recently, she co-
Personality and past film viewing experiences. Human Com-
munication Research, 13, 529–552. edited a special issue of Journal of Social and Personal Relation-
ships on social and personal relationships of people with HIV and
Vorderer, P., Klimmt, C., & Ritterfeld, U. (2004). Enjoyment: At
has published a book (Erlbaum) on disclosure and HIV.
the heart of media entertainment. Communication Theory, 4,
Zaleski, Z. (1984). Sensation seeking and risk taking behavior. Kathryn Greene
Personality and Individual Differences, 5, 607–608. Department of Communication
Zuckerman, M. (1983). Sensation seeking and sports. Personality Rutgers University
and Individual Differences, 4, 285–293. 4 Huntington Street
Zuckerman, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial New Brunswick, NJ 07043
bases of sensation seeking. New York: Cambridge University USA
Press. Tel. +1 732 932 7500
Fax +1 732 932 37 56
Date of acceptance: March 3, 2008 E-mail kgreene@scils.rutgers.edu

S.C. Banerjee et al.: Film Preferences 105

Marina Krcmar, PhD, is Asso- Dovile Ruginyte, MA, is a doc-

ciate Professor at Wake Forest toral student at the Media and
University, Winston-Salem, Journalism Department at Rut-
NC, USA. Her research focuses gers University, New Bruns-
on children, adolescents, and wick, NJ, USA. She is currently
the media. Her most recent re- writing her dissertation on rep-
search examines the effect of resentations of African women
violent video games on adoles- in French and American news.
cents and the role of media Her research interests include
consumption in adolescent risk representations of women, hu-
taking. Her research has ap- man rights issues, and violence
peared in Journal of Communi- in the media.
cation, Human Communication
Research, Media Psychology,
Communication Research,

Communication Theory, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic

Media, and other journals. She has written several book chapters Dovile Ruginyte
and her forthcoming book, Living Without the Screen, will be pub- 3 rue Etienne Dolet
lished by Erlbaum. Professor Krcmar teaches classes in media F-93360 Neuilly Plaisance
effects, children and television, research methods, and theory con- France
struction. Tel. +33 950 932 606
E-mail ruginyte@hotmail.com

Marina Krcmar
3233 Sunnymede Lane
Charlotte, NC 28209
Tel. +1 336 758 54 05
Fax +1 336 758 46 91
E-mail Krcmarm@wfu.edu

Zhanna Bagdasarov, MA, is a

doctoral candidate at the School
of Communication, Infor-
mation, and Library Studies,
Rutgers University, New
Brunswick, NJ, USA. For her
dissertation, she is currently ex-
amining message processing
and personality factors. Her re-
search interests are in the areas
of persuasion (within the con-
text of health communication)
and media effects.

Zhanna Bagdasarov
Department of Communication
Rutgers University
4 Huntington Street
New Brunswick, NJ 07043
Tel. +1 732 309 3940
Fax +1 732 932 3756
E-mail zbagdasa@rci.rutgers.edu
