ABSTRACT Although affects such as interest, contentment, excitement, and relaxation are positive ... more ABSTRACT Although affects such as interest, contentment, excitement, and relaxation are positive in valence, we argue that the cognitive and motivational functions of specific affects differ, making the effects of interest versus contentment and excitement versus relaxation differential in the adoption of new technology. We hypothesized that while interest and excitement will have positive associations with new technology adoption, contentment and relaxation may be negatively associated. The overall hypotheses were supported by the results of an online survey of 156 Korean adults. In addition, the results were consistent with the view that pleasure is a generic term encompassing various positive affects, such as interest and excitement. The effect of pleasure on new technology adoption was mediated by the specific affects of which it was comprised, including interest and excitement.
Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 2012
This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived re... more This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived reality, involvement, and enjoyment were measured after participants watched a sad film. The results from structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that a tragic film induces sadness and that sadness is a positive predictor of perceived reality of the story and sense of involvement. Involvement,
ABSTRACT We examined whether gender-role egalitarianism predicted participants' rank-orde... more ABSTRACT We examined whether gender-role egalitarianism predicted participants' rank-order preferences for traits in potential marriage partners of the opposite sex, and whether gender-role egalitarianism mediated cultural differences between participants from North America, Polynesia and East Asia. Participants completed the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale and ranked the following traits in terms of their importance in choosing a potential marriage partner: kindness, physical attractiveness, social level, athleticism, creativity and liveliness. Parallel analyses for male and female participants reveal that traditional males value physical attractiveness more than egalitarian males, and that traditional females value social level more and kindness less than egalitarian females. Gender-role egalitarianism fully mediated the effect of culture on kindness rankings, but no others. These results expand upon previous findings by accounting for individual differences regarding beliefs about traditional gender roles.
Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 2014
This study examined the role of display size and mode in increasing users' sense of being togethe... more This study examined the role of display size and mode in increasing users' sense of being together with and of their psychological immersion in a virtual character. Using a high-resolution three-dimensional virtual character, this study employed a 2 · 2 (stereoscopic mode vs. monoscopic mode · actual human size vs. small size display) factorial design in an experiment with 144 participants randomly assigned to each condition. Findings showed that stereoscopic mode had a significant effect on both users' sense of being together and psychological immersion. However, display size affected only the sense of being together. Furthermore, display size was not found to moderate the effect of stereoscopic mode.
This study provides a resolution for two contrasting hypotheses around media use, the augmentatio... more This study provides a resolution for two contrasting hypotheses around media use, the augmentation and the displacement hypotheses. To do this, we conducted an online survey of 300 Korean adults examining the relationships among the social use of media, face-to-face communication, social isolation, connectedness, and subjective well-being. The results indicate that connectedness, not avoiding social isolation, mediates the effects of the social use of media on subjective well-being. On the other hand, both connectedness and avoiding social isolation mediate the effects of face-to-face communication on subjective well-being. These results suggest that the social use of media is limited to seeking connectedness to others, whereas face-to-face communication can facilitate avoiding social isolation as well as seeking connectedness, which can explain why the two contrasting hypothesis, the augmentation and the displacement hypotheses, can be right. In the domain of seeking connectedness, media can augment face-to-face communication. On the other hand, in the domain of avoiding social isolation, media may displace face-to-face communication.
Adolescence is a sensitive period of time for developing social abilities such as cognitive empat... more Adolescence is a sensitive period of time for developing social abilities such as cognitive empathy. Thus, social experiences in this time period are more influential in forming the social abilities than during other periods in life. Video games are agent-based media in which game players carry out their own action in a mediated world whose rules are predefined by algorithms. This means that game players do not have to engage their cognitive empathy when playing games. Thus, prolonged use of video games during adolescence can result in the underdevelopment of cognitive empathy. This survey from three age groups (adolescents aged 16-19, adults aged 37-41, elders aged 58-62) demonstrated that only among adolescents was the amount of time spent in game play negatively associated with cognitive empathy. The findings of this study can contribute to understanding the nature of video game play and its negative effects by focusing on the manner of media use rather than the messages in media, and focusing on cognitive empathy, which has rarely been examined.
This study explores the ways in which motivations induced from watching broadcasts of mega-sporti... more This study explores the ways in which motivations induced from watching broadcasts of mega-sporting events influence audiences' responses to the commercials embedded in the broadcast. Evolutionary perspective suggests that programme-induced emotions are conceived of as activators of executive motivation systems, which direct energy to deal with Abstract This study examines a way to enhance the effectiveness of commercials embedded in the telecasts of mega sporting events. We hypothesise that embedded commercials are more likeable when the cues of the commercials match the motivations induced by the telecasts of sports games. Specifically, we posit that the telecasts of mega-sporting events induce motives of relatedness (rather than motives of competence) and that the advertisements embedded in these telecasts will be more effective when they appeal to the relatedness motive. The results support this hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are provided . particular adaptation problems ). Thus, the effectiveness of an advertisement embedded in a television programme is likely to be determined by the interaction between the activated motivation system and the capacity of the advertising cues to fulfill the audience's needs. These needs are governed by the motivation system, which is induced by the 326
Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 2012
This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived re... more This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived reality, involvement, and enjoyment were measured after participants watched a sad film. The results from structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that a tragic film induces sadness and that sadness is a positive predictor of perceived reality of the story and sense of involvement. Involvement, in turn, is a positive predictor of enjoyment of the sad film. Sadness predicted subject-oriented enjoyment (measured by a self-referent item: ''I enjoyed the movie'') more significantly than object-oriented enjoyment (measured by an object-referent item: ''The movie entertained me''). Perceived reality fully mediated object-oriented enjoyment, but only partially mediated subject-oriented enjoyment.
ABSTRACT Although affects such as interest, contentment, excitement, and relaxation are positive ... more ABSTRACT Although affects such as interest, contentment, excitement, and relaxation are positive in valence, we argue that the cognitive and motivational functions of specific affects differ, making the effects of interest versus contentment and excitement versus relaxation differential in the adoption of new technology. We hypothesized that while interest and excitement will have positive associations with new technology adoption, contentment and relaxation may be negatively associated. The overall hypotheses were supported by the results of an online survey of 156 Korean adults. In addition, the results were consistent with the view that pleasure is a generic term encompassing various positive affects, such as interest and excitement. The effect of pleasure on new technology adoption was mediated by the specific affects of which it was comprised, including interest and excitement.
Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 2012
This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived re... more This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived reality, involvement, and enjoyment were measured after participants watched a sad film. The results from structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that a tragic film induces sadness and that sadness is a positive predictor of perceived reality of the story and sense of involvement. Involvement,
ABSTRACT We examined whether gender-role egalitarianism predicted participants' rank-orde... more ABSTRACT We examined whether gender-role egalitarianism predicted participants' rank-order preferences for traits in potential marriage partners of the opposite sex, and whether gender-role egalitarianism mediated cultural differences between participants from North America, Polynesia and East Asia. Participants completed the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale and ranked the following traits in terms of their importance in choosing a potential marriage partner: kindness, physical attractiveness, social level, athleticism, creativity and liveliness. Parallel analyses for male and female participants reveal that traditional males value physical attractiveness more than egalitarian males, and that traditional females value social level more and kindness less than egalitarian females. Gender-role egalitarianism fully mediated the effect of culture on kindness rankings, but no others. These results expand upon previous findings by accounting for individual differences regarding beliefs about traditional gender roles.
Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 2014
This study examined the role of display size and mode in increasing users' sense of being togethe... more This study examined the role of display size and mode in increasing users' sense of being together with and of their psychological immersion in a virtual character. Using a high-resolution three-dimensional virtual character, this study employed a 2 · 2 (stereoscopic mode vs. monoscopic mode · actual human size vs. small size display) factorial design in an experiment with 144 participants randomly assigned to each condition. Findings showed that stereoscopic mode had a significant effect on both users' sense of being together and psychological immersion. However, display size affected only the sense of being together. Furthermore, display size was not found to moderate the effect of stereoscopic mode.
This study provides a resolution for two contrasting hypotheses around media use, the augmentatio... more This study provides a resolution for two contrasting hypotheses around media use, the augmentation and the displacement hypotheses. To do this, we conducted an online survey of 300 Korean adults examining the relationships among the social use of media, face-to-face communication, social isolation, connectedness, and subjective well-being. The results indicate that connectedness, not avoiding social isolation, mediates the effects of the social use of media on subjective well-being. On the other hand, both connectedness and avoiding social isolation mediate the effects of face-to-face communication on subjective well-being. These results suggest that the social use of media is limited to seeking connectedness to others, whereas face-to-face communication can facilitate avoiding social isolation as well as seeking connectedness, which can explain why the two contrasting hypothesis, the augmentation and the displacement hypotheses, can be right. In the domain of seeking connectedness, media can augment face-to-face communication. On the other hand, in the domain of avoiding social isolation, media may displace face-to-face communication.
Adolescence is a sensitive period of time for developing social abilities such as cognitive empat... more Adolescence is a sensitive period of time for developing social abilities such as cognitive empathy. Thus, social experiences in this time period are more influential in forming the social abilities than during other periods in life. Video games are agent-based media in which game players carry out their own action in a mediated world whose rules are predefined by algorithms. This means that game players do not have to engage their cognitive empathy when playing games. Thus, prolonged use of video games during adolescence can result in the underdevelopment of cognitive empathy. This survey from three age groups (adolescents aged 16-19, adults aged 37-41, elders aged 58-62) demonstrated that only among adolescents was the amount of time spent in game play negatively associated with cognitive empathy. The findings of this study can contribute to understanding the nature of video game play and its negative effects by focusing on the manner of media use rather than the messages in media, and focusing on cognitive empathy, which has rarely been examined.
This study explores the ways in which motivations induced from watching broadcasts of mega-sporti... more This study explores the ways in which motivations induced from watching broadcasts of mega-sporting events influence audiences' responses to the commercials embedded in the broadcast. Evolutionary perspective suggests that programme-induced emotions are conceived of as activators of executive motivation systems, which direct energy to deal with Abstract This study examines a way to enhance the effectiveness of commercials embedded in the telecasts of mega sporting events. We hypothesise that embedded commercials are more likeable when the cues of the commercials match the motivations induced by the telecasts of sports games. Specifically, we posit that the telecasts of mega-sporting events induce motives of relatedness (rather than motives of competence) and that the advertisements embedded in these telecasts will be more effective when they appeal to the relatedness motive. The results support this hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are provided . particular adaptation problems ). Thus, the effectiveness of an advertisement embedded in a television programme is likely to be determined by the interaction between the activated motivation system and the capacity of the advertising cues to fulfill the audience's needs. These needs are governed by the motivation system, which is induced by the 326
Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 2012
This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived re... more This study examined the role of sadness in the process of enjoying tragedy. Sadness, perceived reality, involvement, and enjoyment were measured after participants watched a sad film. The results from structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that a tragic film induces sadness and that sadness is a positive predictor of perceived reality of the story and sense of involvement. Involvement, in turn, is a positive predictor of enjoyment of the sad film. Sadness predicted subject-oriented enjoyment (measured by a self-referent item: ''I enjoyed the movie'') more significantly than object-oriented enjoyment (measured by an object-referent item: ''The movie entertained me''). Perceived reality fully mediated object-oriented enjoyment, but only partially mediated subject-oriented enjoyment.
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Papers by Dohyun Ahn