Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes
Abstract Prior work suggests people often match with conversational partners by using a common rate of style words (e.g., articles, pronouns). Indeed, such language style matching (LSM) has associated positively with downstream social and psychological dynamics like cooperation, liking, and well-bei...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-85011-w |
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| author | David M. Markowitz |
| author_facet | David M. Markowitz |
| author_sort | David M. Markowitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prior work suggests people often match with conversational partners by using a common rate of style words (e.g., articles, pronouns). Indeed, such language style matching (LSM) has associated positively with downstream social and psychological dynamics like cooperation, liking, and well-being. To what degree is LSM predictive of positive attitudes in entertainment media settings? The current two-study paper addressed this question by collecting participants’ writing style with three diverse prompts, and then having them consume a random selection of TED talks (Study 1) and videotaped podcast narratives (Study 2). The evidence suggested less LSM was associated with positive attitudes (e.g., an interest in watching another video by the speaker, feeling connected to the speaker). Mediation analyses revealed the negative relationship between LSM and positive attitudes was explained by one’s novelty need satisfaction. Implications for LSM research, plus character construction and narrative development in media psychology, are discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5bc35534336546429a2d09655522c376 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5bc35534336546429a2d09655522c3762025-01-19T12:22:48ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-011511910.1038/s41598-024-85011-wLanguage style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudesDavid M. Markowitz0Department of Communication, Michigan State UniversityAbstract Prior work suggests people often match with conversational partners by using a common rate of style words (e.g., articles, pronouns). Indeed, such language style matching (LSM) has associated positively with downstream social and psychological dynamics like cooperation, liking, and well-being. To what degree is LSM predictive of positive attitudes in entertainment media settings? The current two-study paper addressed this question by collecting participants’ writing style with three diverse prompts, and then having them consume a random selection of TED talks (Study 1) and videotaped podcast narratives (Study 2). The evidence suggested less LSM was associated with positive attitudes (e.g., an interest in watching another video by the speaker, feeling connected to the speaker). Mediation analyses revealed the negative relationship between LSM and positive attitudes was explained by one’s novelty need satisfaction. Implications for LSM research, plus character construction and narrative development in media psychology, are discussed.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-85011-wLanguage style matchingStyle wordsEntertainmentMediaAttitudes |
| spellingShingle | David M. Markowitz Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes Scientific Reports Language style matching Style words Entertainment Media Attitudes |
| title | Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| title_full | Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| title_fullStr | Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| title_short | Language style (mis)matching: Consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| title_sort | language style mis matching consuming entertainment media from someone unlike you is linked to positive attitudes |
| topic | Language style matching Style words Entertainment Media Attitudes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-85011-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidmmarkowitz languagestylemismatchingconsumingentertainmentmediafromsomeoneunlikeyouislinkedtopositiveattitudes |