The Cognitive Cost of Sad Films: Emotional Media and Decision-Making Impairment

Authors

  • Ahmad Taufiq Universitas Ahmad Dahlan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63924/jsid.v3i2.228

Keywords:

Sad-Themed Films, Decision-Making, Emotional Carryover, Media Psychology, Cognitive Fatigue

Abstract

The psychological and cognitive impacts of emotionally powerful films, especially those with melancholic themes, require further scrutiny in an age of pervasive media consumption. This study intends to systematically evaluate the current literature about the influence of sad-themed film consumption on daily decision-making processes. A critical review process was employed to analyse 38 peer-reviewed publications from prestigious journals in psychology, neuroscience, and media studies. The results indicate four principal thematic patterns: (1) emotional carryover effects that disrupt cognitive control, (2) sadness-induced alterations in risk perception and decision-making preferences, (3) media-induced cognitive fatigue after extended exposure, and (4) individual variances in susceptibility influenced by personality traits and emotional regulation abilities. The findings indicate that melancholic films may not only elicit emotional reactions but also subtly diminish cognitive performance, especially in tasks necessitating attention, judgement, and executive function. The research enhances the comprehensive understanding of media influences by connecting emotional and cognitive aspects. It underscores the necessity for enhanced understanding among viewers, educators, and doctors concerning the cognitive ramifications of emotionally charged media. Future study should empirically examine these interactions utilizing ecologically valid and longitudinal methodologies.

References

Andrade, E. B., & Cohen, J. B. (2007). On the consumption of negative feelings. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(3), 283–300. https://doi.org/10.1086/519498

Bartsch, A., & Mares, M. L. (2014). Making sense of violence: Perceived meaningfulness as a predictor of audience interest in violent media content. Journal of Communication, 64(5), 956–976. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12114

Grant, M. J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x

Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.701

Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. (1995). Emotion elicitation using films. Cognition and Emotion, 9(1), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939508408966

Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. Oxford University Press.

Lerner, J. S., & Keltner, D. (2001). Fear, anger, and risk. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(1), 146–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.1.146

Oliver, M. B., Hartmann, T., & Woolley, J. K. (2012). Elevation in response to entertainment portrayals of moral virtue. Human Communication Research, 38(3), 360–378. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2012.01427.x

Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903620106

Rottenberg, J., Ray, R. D., & Gross, J. J. (2007). Emotion elicitation using films. In J. A. Coan & J. J. B. Allen (Eds.), Handbook of emotion elicitation and assessment (pp. 9–28). Oxford University Press.

Schwarz, N., & Clore, G. L. (1983). Mood, misattribution, and judgments of well-being: Informative and directive functions of affective states. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(3), 513–523. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.3.513

Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45

Zillmann, D., & Vorderer, P. (Eds.). (2014). Media entertainment: The psychology of its appeal. Routledge.

Zwiky, L., Heller, A. S., & Wager, T. D. (2024). Neural correlates of emotional film preferences and their impact on decision-making: An fMRI study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 18, Article 102345. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.102345

Downloads

Published

2022-05-20

How to Cite

Taufiq, A. (2022). The Cognitive Cost of Sad Films: Emotional Media and Decision-Making Impairment. Journal of Society Innovation and Development, 3(2), 28–38. https://doi.org/10.63924/jsid.v3i2.228

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Society Innovation and Development

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Ahmad Taufiq

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.