Meaningful Entertainment

Research in this area examines how audiences engage with media that prompts deep reflection, insight, and emotional growth. While entertainment is frequently equated with pleasure and amusement (hedonia), this work explores the eudaimonic side of media—stories that help us contemplate the human condition, resilience, and personal purpose.

Eudaimonia and Moral Reflection

We study how narratives highlighting human struggle or moral complexity can foster a sense of well-being that transcends simple enjoyment. This research investigates the specific motivations that lead individuals to seek out "meaningful" content and how these experiences can buffer against stress while promoting psychological flourishing (e.g., Raney et al., 2018).

By exploring the intersection of media psychology and positive psychology, we aim to understand how entertainment acts as a tool for personal growth. This work suggests that meaningful media does not just offer an escape, but provides a "meaning-making" framework that helps audiences navigate real-world challenges.

Moral Elevation and Prosocial Motivation

A specific focus of our lab is moral elevation: the uplifting emotion triggered by witnessing acts of extraordinary virtue or kindness. Our experiments analyze how media portrayals of self-sacrifice or compassion can inspire audiences to adopt more prosocial goals and "better themselves" in their own lives.