So, You Think You’re a Super Hero?

An Examination of Vicarious Self-Inflation Through Mass-Media Heroes

Authors

  • Bethany Griffis University of Montevallo
  • Morgan Hamrick University of Montevallo
  • Hannah Rae Joseph University of Montevallo

Keywords:

mass media, heroism, self-inflation, self-esteem, superhero

Abstract

In recent years there have been numerous movies, television shows, and novels that emphasize a strong heroic character. Extraordinary events typically result in a metamorphosis whereby the once mundane character becomes extraordinary. Previous research pertaining to audience identification with mass-media heroes holds that the individual characteristics of the consumer may determine the extent to which a person may exhibit vicarious self-inflation through mass-media heroes. Much of the research conducted on this area pertains to children; however, the present study focused on college-aged participants to determine whether certain personality traits correlate with vicarious self-inflation. The present study assessed whether self-esteem, introversion or extraversion, anxiety, high or low sensitivity, and self-efficacy could predict either a greater or lesser degree of vicarious self-inflation. It was hypothesized that lower scores on the self-efficacy and self-esteem scales, higher scores on sensitivity, introversion, and anxiety scales would result in greater vicarious self-inflation with mass-media heroes. While there was partial support for our hypotheses, the pattern was more complex and in some cases opposite to expectations. Specifically, lower anxiety and introversion scores were associated with higher reported levels of identification with the fictional hero(ine), rather than the converse. Implications for future research are discussed.

Faculty Mentors: Dr. John Burling and Dr. Kristen Gilbert

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Published

2018-06-29

Issue

Section

Social Sciences