Sentimental films can influence political attitudes and make you more liberal, scientists say

[WestVirginiaRebel]

UK Independent:

Watching sentimental films can have a greater influence on a person’s political opinions than advertising or news reports, according to new research.

 

Viewers who are “not prepared” to be critical about what they are seeing on screen were more likely to experience a “leftward shift” in attitudes when watching Hollywood movies with an underlying liberal message.

 

A team of political scientists at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana set out to explore the power of political messages in popular films, and found that they “possess the ability to change attitudes, especially on issues that are unframed by the media”.

 

Dr Todd Adkins, the study’s lead author, wrote that: “Media effects research has generally ignored the possibility that popular films can affect political attitudes,” an omission which he described as “puzzling”.

 

Around 300 students at Notre Dame – half of whom said they regarded themselves as conservative – were surveyed on their political views, shown a film, then questioned again.

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The politics of movie watching?