Document Type

Honors Paper

Advisor

Jefferson Singer

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

This research investigated the differences between participants’ affective response and recollection of a film, comparing two conditions, watching it alone at home (n = 21) or in an auditorium with an audience (n = 28). Participants were asked to view the short film, The Neighbors’ Window, and answer questions about the emotions they experienced during the filming, plot points and favorite moments, as well as whether any personal memories were elicited. After two weeks, they were contacted again and asked to respond to the post viewing questions again. Contrary to hypotheses, it was revealed that in the two week follow-up responses, those who streamed The Neighbors’ Window at home alone had significantly higher “engaged’ and “moved” responses. Those who streamed at home also, in the two week follow up, reported a significantly higher frequency of elicited personal memories from the short film in comparison to those who watched it in the cinema treatment. Lastly, a significant positive correlation was found across the sample between both the electronic viewing habits and the “moved” factor, as well as the streaming with others habit and the “engaged” factor. These findings are discussed in context of the limits of the research, including a decrease of ecological validity in the cinema treatment, as well as COVID’s possible role in changing the normal film viewing experience for college-aged students. Recommendations for future research are provided.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.