The Psychology of Moviegoing

How do we choose what movies to go see? How do we process the sounds and images of those films? How do they influence our behaviors, attitudes and beliefs after we leave the theater? Using psychology theory, this book answers these questions while considering the effects of relatively permanent personality variables, our changeable moods and the people we are with in such scenarios. It also points out areas of the study in which further work is necessary and where new concepts, such as awe and aesthetic pleasure, may further understanding.

Ashton D. Trice is a professor of psychology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Hunter W. Greer is currently a resident in counseling, pursuing his LPC, in Richmond Virginia.

Ashton D. Trice and Hunter W. Greer

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 13 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7724-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3610-8
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1

Part I: Choosing a Movie  3

1.  Personality and Movie Choice  5

2.  Emotion and Mood  30

3.  The Social Context of Choosing and Viewing Movies  46

Part II: Experiencing the Movie  67

4.  Sensation and Perception  69

5.  Learning from the Screen  96

6.  Cognitive Psychology and Understanding Movies  112

Part III: After the Movie  131

7. Selling Watches, Changing Hearts and Minds  133

8. Depictions of the Mentally Ill, Therapists and Therapy  162

Epilogue  188

References  195

Index  205