Emotional Arcs Research Articles

Faith in frames: unveiling therapeutic narratives in religion-related cinema through computational analysis.

This study explores the emotional impact of religion-related films through a "cinematherapy" lens. It aims to analyze the emotional patterns in a curated selection of religion-related films compared to a broader sample of acclaimed movies using facial recognition with YOLOv5 object detection. The study aims to uncover the potential therapeutic application of religion-related films. Facial recognition with YOLOv5 object detection was utilized in this study to analyze the emotional patterns in religion-related films. A curated selection of these films was compared to a broader sample of acclaimed movies to identify any distinct emotional trajectories. The analysis of the emotional patterns revealed that religion-related films exhibited a subtler range of emotions compared to the broader film spectrum. This finding suggests that these films potentially create a safe space for contemplation, aligning with the profound themes often explored in religion-related films. Interestingly, the emotional arc observed in the films mirrored the spiritual journeys depicted in them. The films started with a low point of separation, transitioned through challenges, and culminated in a peak representing spiritual transformation. These findings suggest promise for the therapeutic application of religion-related films. The muted emotional expression in these films creates a safe space for self-reflection, enabling viewers to connect with the struggles of the characters and explore their own values when faced with complex religious ideas. This emotional engagement may contribute to therapeutic goals such as introspection and personal growth. The study unveils the unique emotional power of religion-related films and paves the way for further research on their potential as therapeutic tools. It emphasizes the need for continued exploration of the emotional impact of these films and their capacity to aid in therapeutic goals.

EMOTIONAL SOUNDTRACK: INFLUENCE OF MUSIC COMPOSERS ON AUDIENCE EMOTION

Music has the unrivalled ability to elicit emotions and change human experiences. This study explores the complex interaction between music composition, attendance behaviour, and mood during musical events. Music’s significant effect on human emotions has been the focus of much study and intrigue. Music composers use the emotional power of music to elicit profound reactions from their audiences. In the context of soundtracks, this study explores the complex link between music creators and listeners’ emotions. This study investigates the methods, plans, and underlying psychological processes that composers use to affect the emotional states of their audience by carefully examining previous research and studies on music, emotion, and soundtracks. The study’s methodology is based on an extensive literature assessment, empirical investigations, and theoretical frameworks exploring the mutual relationship between music and emotion. It examines how different musical components, including instrumentation, rhythm, melody, and harmony, can influence listeners’ emotions over time. Furthermore, the study explores how the musical element interacts with contextual factors in cinematic narratives and visual cues to enhance emotional engagement. The study’s findings demonstrate how emotions and music interact with soundtracks. Composers utilize various strategies to alter and shape the listener’s emotions to fit music to the intended emotional arc of the lyrics, pitch, storyline, and melodies. This study synthesizes the plethora of data and ideas from studies on music, emotion, and soundtrack to further the understanding of the complicated relationship between music and emotion. It also highlights the artistic and mental prowess of composers who employ music as a powerful instrument to evoke intense emotional reactions in their listeners. By shedding further light on the impact composers have on the emotional landscape of music and the cinematic experience, this study contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the art and science of music composition and how it impacts audience emotion.

Emotional Arcs of Entrepreneurial Narratives as Emotion-Symbolic Work: Evidence from Ted Talks

Emotional Arcs of Entrepreneurial Narratives as Emotion-Symbolic Work: Evidence from Ted Talks

Author as Character and Narrator: Deconstructing Personal Narratives from the r/AmITheAsshole Reddit Community

In the r/AmITheAsshole subreddit, people anonymously share first person narratives that contain some moral dilemma or conflict and ask the community to judge who is at fault (i.e., who is "the asshole"). These first person narratives are, in general, a unique storytelling domain where the author is not only the narrator (the person telling the story) but is also a character (the person living the story) and, thus, the author has two distinct voices presented in the story. In this study, we identify linguistic and narrative features associated with the author as the character or as a narrator. We use these features to answer the following questions: (1) what makes an asshole character and (2) what makes an asshole narrator? We extract both Author-as-Character features (e.g., demographics, narrative event chain, and emotional arc) and Author-as-Narrator features (i.e., the style and emotion of the story as a whole) in order to identify which aspects of the narrative are correlated with the final moral judgment. Our work shows that "assholes" as Characters frame themselves as lacking agency with a more positive personal arc, while "assholes" as Narrators will tell emotional and opinionated stories.

The Shape of Inspiration: Exploring the Emotional Arcs and Self-Transcendent Elicitors Within Inspirational Movies

ABSTRACT Emotions have long been regarded as a central component of the entertainment media experience. The present study combines computational analysis and quantitative content analysis to analyze the emotional arcs of inspirational media content and associated elicitors of self-transcendent emotions in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of inspirational media. Results demonstrate that inspirational movies can be characterized by a positive shift in sentiment at the end of the narrative and multiple shifts between relatively negative and relatively positive sentiment throughout the story. Furthermore, the “peaks” and “valleys” in the emotional arcs are associated with the presence of differing inspirational elicitors, and the presence of certain elicitors (such as kindness/moral goodness) within a scene predicted positive shifts in the emotional arcs in the scenes following the elicitor.

The Emergence of a Theatrical Science of Man in France, 1660–1740

The Emergence of a Theatrical Science of Man in France, 1660–1740

The multimodal construction of political personae through the strategic management of semiotic resources of emotion expression

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analytical framework for analyzing how multimodal resources of emotion expression are semiotically materialized in discursive interactions specific to political discourse. Interested in how political personae are emotionally constructed through multimodal meaning-making practices, our analysis model assumes an interdisciplinary perspective, which integrates facial expression analysis – using FaceReader™ software –, the theory of emotional arcs and bodily actions (hand gestures) analysis that express emotions, in the analytical framework of multimodality. The results show how the multimodal choices that political actors make during discursive interactions allow them to build their political brand and make connections with the audience on an emotional level.

IDEST: International Database of Emotional Short Texts.

We introduce a database (IDEST) of 250 short stories rated for valence, arousal, and comprehensibility in two languages. The texts, with a narrative structure telling a story in the first person and controlled for length, were originally written in six different languages (Finnish, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish), and rated for arousal, valence, and comprehensibility in the original language. The stories were translated into English, and the same ratings for the English translations were collected via an internet survey tool (N = 573). In addition to the rating data, we also report readability indexes for the original and English texts. The texts have been categorized into different story types based on their emotional arc. The texts score high on comprehensibility and represent a wide range of emotional valence and arousal levels. The comparative analysis of the ratings of the original texts and English translations showed that valence ratings were very similar across languages, whereas correlations between the two pairs of language versions for arousal and comprehensibility were modest. Comprehensibility ratings correlated with only some of the readability indexes. The database is published in osf.io/9tga3, and it is freely available for academic research.

Exploration of Emotion Perception in Serious Interactive Digital Narrative.

The procedural process of children's emotional involvement in the interactive digital narrative conforms to children's emotional attachment to the story and enhances the mediating nature of learning through forced interactivity. This study explores how compelling arcs influence learners' preference for serious story content by using a combination of natural language processing methods and statistical analysis methods. By analyzing 474 Chinese short serious stories, the emotional trajectory of each story is generated. Then, the obtained trajectories are combined into clusters of serious story emotional groupings through supervised learning. The study results found that the emotional arc in serious stories can be divided into six basic shapes, and the serious story with the highest preference is the “N”-shaped emotional arc. Emotional ups and downs characterize the emotional narrative aspect of this type of serious story as the story progresses but with an apparent emotional uptick towards the end of the story. Based on experimentally derived emotional topology and narrative generation methods, this paper proposes the design strategies for future emotional arcs to apply to serious interactive digital narratives.

Universal emotional arc structure in advertisements and their favorability

PurposeThis study aims to propose a novel way to explore the narrative structure of advertisements, a nascent area of research, through the protagonist’s emotional arc progression.Design/methodology/approachThe multi-methods approach is used. In Study 1, the authors explore the basic universal emotional arcs through the analysis of narrative advertisements from six key economies. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors experimentally test hypotheses concerning the narrative structure and viewers’ attitudes toward the narrative using representative samples (317 and 193 ads, respectively).FindingsThe authors identify five broad emotional arcs of the protagonist in audiovisual advertisements. Different emotional arcs are found to induce different attitudes in the audience. Narratives ending in a positive mode and the narrative arcs with higher emotional shifts are more favorably evaluated by the audience.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study is limited to textual stimuli tested in a US population and does not consider protagonist characteristic portrayal.Practical implicationsUnderstanding consumer preferences for different emotional arcs can help practitioners to develop more clutter-breaking and relevant advertisements.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the narrative structure theory in the context of advertisements using a positivist approach.

‘Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?’: Mid-century modern fashions and their influence on costume development in The Incredibles and Incredibles 2

In this article, we examine period fashions in character costumes in the two Pixar/Disney computer-animated films, The Incredibles and Incredibles 2. These films have a strong mid-century modern design influence interwoven into the films’ narratives and aesthetic designs. The films have previously raised interest in fashion studies, due to their superhero concept. However, an analysis of the characters’ everyday dress is also valuable for understanding the influence of fashion and pop culture references on contemporary animated film costuming and how those elements embed within the technological development of digital characters’ clothing. We employ historical and visual analysis to highlight the integration of design elements of period-appropriate fashions into character costumes. Additionally, we examine the relationship between animation software development and the films’ design aesthetics to inspect how technological advancements support the behaviour of cloth, narrative progression and characters’ personal emotional arcs by reviewing industry articles as well as animator and designer interviews from the making of the films. This is a unique case study that explores the influences and inspiration of period-specific fashion in constructing costumes for computer-animated films, which are ostensibly set in an environment also inspired by the period and specific cultural zeitgeist.

Fantastic Beasts and their Sonic Nature

This article explores sound designs for the five distinct collaborations across the eight Harry Potter films, each of which carved new ways of achieving story cohesion and continuity, and for seeing, hearing, and caring about Harry’s journey. Particularly when we examine the role of animals, we find sound that intermediates between the known and unknown, distilling themes and subtexts, and revealing inner conflicts. I give special attention to the fifth and sixth films (Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince) in which audio elements are sensually integrated, allowing us to understand narratives through feeling and physical sensation rather than prescriptive cueing. Musicalised sound effects introduce underscore; underscore takes over for effects in this powerfully nuanced approach that makes space for viewers to experience—rather than merely witness—how Harry navigates varied spheres and circumstances. Further, this approach makes a critical impact on the emotional arc of the story, significantly deepening viewer experience of Harry’s most transformative personal and emotional moments.

The Transformation of Dance Analysis: How Motion Capture and AI Are Changing the Art Form

For centuries, the analysis of dance has relied on subjective observation and qualitative descriptions. The emergence of motion capture technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing this landscape, offering objective data and novel tools for analyzing and interpreting movement. This paper explores the transformative impact of these technologies on various aspects of dance analysis, including: Technique Assessment: Motion capture provides precise metrics for evaluating movement accuracy, alignment, and efficiency, unlocking new possibilities for personalized training and injury prevention. Choreographic Deconstruction: AI algorithms can identify patterns, motifs, and emotional arcs within complex dance pieces, offering deeper insights into choreographic intent and audience perception. Expressive Movement Analysis: By analyzing subtle nuances in body language and facial expressions, AI can shed light on the emotional and communicative dimensions of dance, enriching interpretation and fostering empathy with the performers. Historical Archival and Preservation: Motion capture can digitally preserve endangered dance forms and cultural traditions, facilitating cross-cultural exchange and ensuring accessibility for future generations. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of employing these technologies in dance analysis, addressing concerns about objectivity, authenticity, and the potential loss of the human element. It concludes by exploring potential future directions, arguing that motion capture and AI, when used thoughtfully and ethically, can enhance our understanding and appreciation of dance while fostering innovation and creative expression in this timeless art form.

Emotions and the German Peasants’ War of 1524–6

Abstract This article addresses the questions of the history of emotions to the German Peasants' War of 1524-5. The biggest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution, it overturned lordship in wide areas of Germany and beyond for about three months. It transformed the character of the Reformation as Luther condemned the peasant rebels. The revolt followed an emotional arc, shaped as much by the seasons as it was by the logic of revolution. The article argues that historians need to understand emotions and emotional cycles to understand how revolutions begin and unfold.

Emotion dynamics in movie dialogues.

Emotion dynamics is a framework for measuring how an individual's emotions change over time. It is a powerful tool for understanding how we behave and interact with the world. In this paper, we introduce a framework to track emotion dynamics through one's utterances. Specifically we introduce a number of utterance emotion dynamics (UED) metrics inspired by work in Psychology. We use this approach to trace emotional arcs of movie characters. We analyze thousands of such character arcs to test hypotheses that inform our broader understanding of stories. Notably, we show that there is a tendency for characters to use increasingly more negative words and become increasingly emotionally discordant with each other until about 90% of the narrative length. UED also has applications in behavior studies, social sciences, and public health.

The emotional robotic storyteller: On the influence of affect congruency on narrative transportation, robot perception, and persuasion

We connected theory and research on narrative persuasion to the literature on social robots and examined the effects of a robotic storyteller's facial expressions. The congruency between the emotional arc of a story and the facial expressions of the robot was of particular interest. In a lab experiment, participants were confronted with a storytelling robot who displayed emotions that were congruent or incongruent with the events unfolding in the story or it displayed no emotions. Affect congruency increased participants' transportation in the story world, led to more positive evaluations of the robot, and increased the likelihood of choosing a product that was advertised in the story. Although the robot's voice was held constant in all three conditions, congruent facial expressions led to the illusion of a more congruent intonation by the robot.

Always More Than a Place: A Conversation about Palestine with Isabella Hammad

a Q&A Keija Parssinen: I read The Parisian at the start of Ohio’s statewide shutdown, when our understanding of Covid-19 was limited, and panic was in the air. It was a comfort to me to turn to your book at the end of those exhausting, anxious days. The pace of the novel is languorous, which feels like a rare luxury in contemporary fiction. The book meanders in a way I could envision Midhat doing, a kind of flâneur making his leisurely way across the page. How did you approach pacing and time in this book? How hard did you have to fight to preserve that lovely strolling quality? Isabella Hammad: That’s lovely to hear that it was a comfort. I don’t think I necessarily made a choice to write something languorous per se, but I definitely wanted the readerly experience of time to be long. I wanted to re-create the feeling I’d had as a child where you’re absorbed in a story for a long stretch, and when you reach the end you have feelings of nostalgia for the beginning. I didn’t really have to fight for it. My editors liked the book for what it was and kept it that way. They helped me rearrange a few things and trim some fat, of course. Parssinen: In the first portion of the novel, when Midhat is in medical school in France and falling in love with a Frenchwoman , he is a kind of familiar romantic hero: purposeful, full of desire, and desired in turn. His character begins to change after he is driven from medical school by an act of anthropological racism. He moves to Paris, embraces a kind of louche bohemianism, and, from that point forward, seems increasingly lost in an ever-complexifying political landscape. Writers tend to talk about a character’s emotional arc, but with Midhat, there’s something more diffuse at work. What did you hope to convey through his journey? Hammad: It’s true, Midhat does start out like the protagonist of a European bildungsroman, leaving home to define himself as an individual in the world. A bildungsroman usually involves some kind of reconciliation with society and society ’s values, though, and in this case that classical narrative is disrupted by Midhat’s awakening to the fact that he is not considered an equal in his environment, in French society; he is not considered an “individual” but rather a type of a person —racially, culturally, religiously. You could say that Midhat initially embraces a model of Western individualism, which he then realizes doesn’t apply to him, because the model of the Western individual is only available to the white European or American. Then the novel takes on a different kind of storytelling populated by a wider array of perspectives and voices, underpinned by a certain orality or emphasis on the told-ness of the narration, a sense of collectivity behind the story, and a collective audience. Yet Midhat doesn’t quite fit in this new narrative zone either. I’d argue that there is still an emotional arc, though: he struggles to reconcile his French experiences with his life at home in Palestine, and this leads to certain kinds of repressions and performances. But he ultimately achieves an equilibrium by becoming the narrator of his own life and, at the same time, understanding his position in a community, in a collective, in a family and society that accept him for who he is. Always More Than a Place A Conversation about Palestine with Isabella Hammad by Keija Parssinen I’ve been thinking about literary imprints lately, and how difficult it is to discern the books of one house from another in commercial publishing. Yet I realized that many of my favorite recent books—Aminatta Forna’s The Memory of Love and The Hired Man, Leila Aboulela’s Lyrics Alley and Bird Summons, and Rabih Alameddine’s An Unnecessary Woman, to name a few—have come from one press: Grove Atlantic. It’s true that Grove is a smaller independent outfit. Still, I was pleasantly surprised to feel an aesthetic taking shape in their books, one that...

Moral-Driven Planning in Simple Automated Narrative Generator

A moral is a vital part of the story and is vital for both the author and the audience. However, moral-based story planning is relatively underexplored. This paper proposes a planning-based Simple Automated Narrative Generator framework that explicitly considers the moral input and plans the story events around it. To achieve that, we determine the character's emotional arc based on the polarity of the input moral and then plan the events that adhere to the emotional arc. In the experiment of 103 human evaluators and 35 generated narratives for 7 morals, we find encouraging normalized confidence of 0.86 for intended moral being conveyed by the narratives and reasonable confidence of 0.71 for selecting the narratives with morals versus without morals.

Social Media Influencers and Instagram Storytelling: Case Study of Singapore Instagram Influencers

While the use of social media influencers (SMIs) by brands is becoming more widespread, the academic literature about SMI communication is still scarce. This is one of the first studies on SMI brand storytelling, using data mining and natural language processing to understand how SMIs tell brand stories on Instagram, what kinds of stories they tell, and the impact they have on follower engagement. The findings show that the “rise-fall” emotional arc was the most common story arc used by SMIs. In addition, SMIs frequently used the first-person perspective and featured themselves as the protagonists in their stories. Last, SMIs who used more first-person pronouns and more positive emotions in their stories received more “likes” than those who used fewer first-person pronouns and fewer positive emotions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications for SMI communication theory-building and practice as well as its limitations.

The emotional arcs of political narratives

"According to Reagan et al. (2016) all narratives follow the profile of some emotional arcs. The authors, who start from an idea of the writer Kurt Vonnegut (1995), distinguish between the concept of ‘plot’ – which captures the mechanics of a narrative –, and what they call ‘emotional arcs’, which capture the emotional experience that is evoked in the reader. In this article we propose a critical analysis of the concept of emotional arcs, and test the model of analysis with which the emotional arcs of a narrative are evaluated in the context of specific situations of political communication. The results suggest that for a better understanding of the emotional content of a speech we need to consider the emotional component of each type of semiotic resources that a political actor performs during a speech."