Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Influences on Self-Selected to Twilight Saga Media Across Two Chronologically Distinct Times in the Phenomenon s Popularity Garmon, Lance C., Egerton, Nichole, & Kinder, Alexandria Salisbury University Salisbury, Maryland October 11 th, 2013 Poster Presented at the 6th Emerging Adulthood Conference, Chicago, Illinois Abstract Consistent with Uses and Gratification Approach (see Rubin, 1994), the current study explores a wide range of possible influences on an emerging adult s choice to read the books or watch the movies which comprise The Twilight Saga. While a minority of individuals resist any such media exposure, others opt for extremely high levels of repeated exposure. Relevant variables include gender, maturational age or class rank, romantic relationship experience, representation of attachment, and personal perceptions of the fictional characters and the media s influence. Data was collected during two different phases of the phenomenon s popularity and distinguishes between book and movie exposure. Uses and gratifications theory (Katz et al., 1974) purports that people are aware of their social and psychological needs, and thus make media selections that are most likely to fulfill those needs (Rubin, 2002).Given that emerging adults often have more control over their media use then they did previously [in adolescence], it becomes more important than ever to examine the reasons behind the media choices that are made. (Coyne, Padilla-Walker, & Howard, 2013, p. 129) Introduction This study utilizes one of the most popular media phenomenons of the last decade The Twilight Saga to explore claims inherent to the Uses and Gratification Approach (see Rubin, 1994, 2002) regarding the possible influence individual differences may exert on both media consumption and media influence. The Uses and Gratification Approach proposes that individuals actively seek out the media to which they are exposed from the myriad of choices marketed to them. A central question is why so many emerging adults have chosen exposure to the Twilight Saga books and movies over the last decade, and why some have chosen such high levels of repeated exposure. Previous research supports a common view that the The Twilight Saga is primarily a love story (Garmon, Glover, & Vozzola, 2011). If viewed from the perspective of attachment theory, the primary romantic relationship in The Twilight Saga appears to exhibit many of the characteristics of anxious attachment.
Hypotheses (H1) Self-Selected Absolute to the Popular Media (The Twilight Saga) will be influenced by: Demographic variables such as Age, Education, Gender, and Relationship Experience Internal Working Models of Attachment to Romantic Partners (H2) Perceptions of the Romantic Relationships within the fictional story will be influenced by: Demographic variables such as Age, Education, Gender, and Relationship Experience Internal Working Models of Attachment to Romantic Partners (H3) Self-selected Level to the Popular Media (The Twilight Saga) will be influenced by: Demographic variables such as Age, Education, Gender, and Relationship Experience Internal Working Models of Attachment to Romantic Partners Perceptions of the Romantic Relationships within the fictional story Methodology Online surveys were completed by a total of 415 emerging adults during two different phases of The Twilight Saga s popularity. Phase 1 (N = 104) occurred in Spring 2010 after the release of the second movie and Phase 2 (n = 313) in Fall 2011 after the release of the fourth movie. Respondents received college credit in psychology courses for their participation, but the majority of respondents were not psychology majors. Almost half of respondents classified themselves as freshmen (N = 206) and the majority were both female (N = 312) and white (N = 325). Survey items assessed individual differences in demographics, relationship experience, and internal working models of attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships Revised; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). Research participants also reported on their level of exposure to The Twilight Saga and their perception of its romantic aspects. Absolute (Yes/No) across the phases was remarkably consistent (See Table 1); approximately 25% of respondents reported no media exposure of any type during each phase and movie exposure was consistently higher than for books. This consistency in Absolute as well as differences in extreme exposure outliers between phases raised methodological concerns about the use of a continuous exposure variable. A quartile-split was performed within each phase creating a four-category Level scale distinguishing those with No, Low, Moderate, and High for the total sample (see Table 1). Results H(1) Findings Females were more likely to report Absolute in all media formats (See Table 2). Age and Education demographic variables were not related to overall Absolute, but differences existed for Book and Movie exposure (See Table 3) Real-Life Relationship Experiences were not related to Absolute Representations of Attachment Avoidant Attachment was not related to any Absolute variable Higher Anxious Attachment scores were recorded for those reporting any exposure to The Twilight Saga Phase 1, F(1, 101) = 7.33, p =.008 o Yes: M = 3.56 (SD = 1.24) / No: M = 2.87 (SD = 1.31) Anxious Attachment was not related to Absolute for either Phase 2 or the Total Sample H(2) Findings Perception of Romantic Relationship Preference: For which relationship were you rooting? Clear preference for Bella/Edward dyad (See Figure 1) Females more likely to report a preference and to prefer Bella/Edward dyad (See Figure 1): Not related to other Demographic, Real-Life Relationship Experience, or Attachment variables
Perception of Media Influence: Which statement best describes the influence of the Twilight Saga series on your life? Approximately half (N = 145, 47.9%) did not perceive any influence Females more likely to report Perceived Influence, particularly perceiving characteristics of the fictional love story as real-life goals in their own relationships (See Figure 2): Not related to other Demographic variables Real-Life Relationship Experience (See Figure 2): More likely to Fantasize if not in relationship Respondents with both lower (more psychologically preferred) Anxiety and Avoidance scores were more likely to report not perceiving any influence on their real life (See Figure 3) H(3) Findings Females were more likely to report higher Levels in all media formats (See Table 2). Higher Levels were associated with lower Age and Education Level (See Table 3) Higher Levels were associated with higher GPA (See Table 3) Real-Life Relationship Experiences were not related to any Level variable Representations of Attachment and Level Avoidant Attachment was not related to any Level variable Anxious Attachment was related to Level during Phase 1 (See Figure 4) only Those Perceiving a Relationship Preference reported higher levels of exposure (See Figure 5) Perceived Influence was also associated with levels of exposure such that higher exposure existed for those who perceived the fictional love story as a real-life goal in own relationships (See Figure 6) Summary and Discussion The consistently high level of self-selected exposure to The Twilight Saga suggests the phenomenon represents an important cultural touchstone for many emerging adults during the last decade. Findings support the foundational concepts of the Uses and Gratification Approach o to popular culture media varies in predictable ways o Different influences exist for Absolute and Level of The influence of Representations of Attachment varied across the life of the phenomenon o Suggests different motivators for early adopters (Phase 1) of popular culture phenomenons o Future research needs to continue to explore subsequent phases of the phenomenon o Contrary to expectations, both Anxiety and Avoidant Attachment were influential Findings related to the perception of the popular culture media varied o Perceptions of both Relationship Preference and Perceived Influence o Both Types of Perceptions were not related to the same predictive and outcome variables Variations in media exposure though suggest different motivations may exist for different individuals and at different times in the phenomenon s popularity o Arnett s (1995) proposal that media serve five possible uses Identity Formation, Entertainment, High Sensation, Coping, and Youth Culture Identification may provide the basis for future research exploring these possible motivation variations o Differences in book versus movie exposure imply individuals may use media formats differently o This project focused on factors which might increase the likelihood of self-selected exposure, but an equally interesting question may involve identifying factors leading many to resist exposure We strongly agree with Coyne, Padilla-Walker, & Howard s (2013) challenge encouraging researchers to examine media use through a developmental lens when studying emerging adulthood. Research in this vein will help us truly understand how and why emerging adults use various forms of media and what influence the media have on development (p. 133).
References Arnett, J.J. (1995). Adolescents use of media for self-socialization. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24(5), 519-533. Coyne, S. M, Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Howard, E. (2013). Emerging in a Digital World: A Decade of Review of Media Use, Effects, and Gratifications in Emerging Adulthood. Emerging Adulthood, 1(2), 125-137. Fraley, R. C., Waller, N. G., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). An item-response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 350-365. Garmon, L. C., Glover, R. J., & Vozzola, E. C. (2011, October). Do Representations of Attachment to Romantic Partners in Emerging Adulthood Influence Attitudes about and Perceptions of The Twilight Saga? Paper presented at the 5th Conference on Emerging Adulthood, Providence, Rhode Island. Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In J. G. Blumler & E. Katz (Eds.), The uses of mass communication: Current perspectives on gratifications research (pp. 19-32). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Rubin, A. M. (1994). Media uses and effects: A Uses-and-Gratification perspective. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 417-436). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Rubin, A. M. (2002). The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 525-548). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Table 1: The Twilight Saga Media and Phase Characteristics Phase 1 (Spring 2010) Phase 2 (Fall 2011) Total Sample Sample N 104 311 415 Age: M (SD) 20.83 (1.37) 18.69 (0.87) 19.23 (1.38) College Course Upper-division Developmental Psychology Introductory Psychology The Twilight Saga Media Books released All 4 books All 4 books -- Movies released First 2 movies First 4 movies -- Self-Selected M (SD) 5.35 (5.39) 7.44 (8.83) 6.92 (8.15) Median/Mode 4/0 5/0 4/0 Range 0-28 0-45 0-45 Categories None N = 25 (24.0%) N = 82 (26.4%) N = 107 (0 s) (0 s) (25.8%) Low N = 31 (29.8%) N = 72 (23.2%) N = 103 (1-4 s) (1-4 s) (24.8%) Moderate N = 24 (23.1%) N = 76 (24.4%) N = 100 (5-8 s) (5-10 s) (24.1%) High N = 24 (23.7%) N = 81 (26.0%) N = 105 (9-28 s) (11-45 s) (25.3%) *Since exposure opportunities varied by Phase, Category membership for Total Sample is based on Phase categories calculations --
Table 2: Gender Differences in Media N = 415 Female Male Chi Square* Absolute Books (Yes/No) 174/138 11/92 63.72 Movies (Yes/No) 253/59 45/58 53.51 All Media (Yes/No) 262/50 46/57 62.55 Level No 50 57 Low 66 37 Moderate 92 8 100.44 High 104 1 *All p <.001 Table 3: Age and Education Differences in Media N = 415 Age Education Level* GPA Absolute Books Yes M (SD) 19.05 (1.22) 1.77 (1.03) 3.37 (.49) No M (SD) 19.37 (1.48) 1.92 (1.00) 3.23 (.54) F (1, 414) 5.31 -- 8.36 p.022.134.004 Movies Yes M (SD) 19.12 (1.32) 1.78 (1.00) 3.32 (.52) No M (SD) 19.49 (1.48) 2.04 (1.03) 3.22 (.52) F (1, 414) 5.93 5.93 -- p.015.015.061 All Media Yes M (SD) 19.15 (1.33) 1.80 (1.01) 3.31 (.52) No M (SD) 19.45 (1.48) 2.01 (1.02) 3.23 (.52) F (1, 414) -- -- -- p.052.060.158 Level No M (SD) 19.45 (1.48) 2.01 (1.02) 3.23 (.52) Low M (SD) 19.48 (1.60) 1.94 (1.00) 3.17 (.54) Moderate M (SD) 19.04 (1.11) 1.80 (1.04) 3.39 (.54) High M (SD) 18.93 (1.78) 1.65 (0.96) 3.38 (.45) F (3, 411) 4.37 2.68 4.51 p.005.047.005 *1 = Freshman, 2 = Sophomore, 3 = Junior, & 4 = Senior
Figure 1: For which relationship were you rooting? Gender: χ2(2, N = 303) = 22.75, p <.001 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Females Males Total Sample Bella and Edward 56.8% 34.1% 53.5% Bella and Jacob 34.4% 31.8% 34.0% Neither 8.9% 34.1% 12.5% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 43.2% Figure 2: Which statement best describes the influence of the Twilight Saga series on your life? Gender: χ2(3, N = 303) = 16.44, p =.001 Current Relationship: χ2(3, N = 303) = 8.33, p =.040 33.0% 75.0% 53.6% 11.6% 11.6% 9.1% 9.1% 6.8% 8.6% 6.4% 42.9% 31.4% 28.8% 13.5% Females Males Yes No 14.7% Gender Current Relationship? Influence A: No real influence at all. This is all just fantasy Influence B:It s unrealistic. The level of love and commitment in Bella and Edward s relationships is unattainable in real life Influence C: It has shown me the type of true love and strong commitment I would like to have in my own romantic relationship Influence D: I often found myself fantasizing about having a relationship with one of the main characters
Anxiety Attachment Mean Score Figure 3: Representations of Attachment and Perceived Influence of The Twilight Saga 3.90 3.70 3.50 3.68 3.59 3.30 3.28 3.27 3.22 3.10 2.90 2.93 2.94 2.70 2.50 2.69 Influence A Influence B Influence C Influence D Anxiety: F(3, 299) = 5.42, p =.001 Avoidance: F(3, 299) = 3.09, p =.027 Figure 4: Anxious Attachment and Media to The Twilight Saga Phase 1: F(3, 101) = 3.92, p =.011 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.5 No Low Moderatate High Phase 1 (Spring 2010) 2.84 2.87 3.22 3.93 Phase 2 (Fall 2011) 3.22 3.03 3.22 3.18 Total Sample 3.13 2.98 3.22 3.35
Figure 5: Fictional Relationship Preference and Level of Self-Selected, χ2(4, N = 303) = 25.02, p <.001 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Low Moderate High Bella and Edward 39.6% 56.1% 64.4% Bella and Jacob 35.6% 36.7% 29.8% Neither 24.8% 7.1% 5.8% Figure 6: Perceived Influence of Fictional Relationships and Level of Self-Selected χ2(6, N = 303) = 26.22, p <.001 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Influence A Influence B Influence C Influence D Low 65.3% 10.9% 18.8% 5.0% Moderate 46.9% 11.2% 30.6% 11.2% High 31.7% 11.5% 40.4% 16.3%