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Moving Pictures? Experimental Evidence of Cinematic Influence on Political Attitudes

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  • Todd Adkins
  • Jeremiah J. Castle

Abstract

type="main"> Media effects research has generally ignored the possibility that popular films can affect political attitudes. This omission is puzzling for two reasons. First, research on public opinion finds the potential for persuasion is highest when respondents are unaware that political messages are being communicated. Second, multiple studies have found that entertainment media can alter public opinion. Together, this suggests that popular films containing political messages should possess the potential to influence attitudes. We develop a laboratory experiment where subjects were randomly assigned to watch a control movie with no political messages, a movie with subtle political messages, or a movie with strong and explicit political messages. We find that popular movies possess the ability to change political attitudes, especially on issues that are unframed by the media. Furthermore, we show such influence persists over time and is not moderated by partisanship, ideology, or political knowledge. Our key findings suggest that a renewed scholarly interest in the political influence of popular movies is clearly warranted.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd Adkins & Jeremiah J. Castle, 2014. "Moving Pictures? Experimental Evidence of Cinematic Influence on Political Attitudes," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1230-1244, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:95:y:2014:i:5:p:1230-1244
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ssqu.12070
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lau, Richard R. & Sigelman, Lee & Heldman, Caroline & Babbitt, Paul, 1999. "The Effects of Negative Political Advertisements: A Meta-Analytic Assessment," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 93(4), pages 851-875, December.
    2. Roth,Alvin E. (ed.), 1988. "Laboratory Experimentation in Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521333924.
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    4. Baum, Matthew A., 2002. "Sex, Lies, and War: How Soft News Brings Foreign Policy to the Inattentive Public," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 96(1), pages 91-109, March.
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    6. Bartels, Larry M., 1993. "Messages Received: The Political Impact of Media Exposure," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(2), pages 267-285, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Angel, Stefan, 2018. "Smart tools? A randomized controlled trial on the impact of three different media tools on personal finance," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 104-111.

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