The psychological impact of viewing the film JFK: Emotions, beliefs and political behavioral intentions

Butler, Lisa D.; Koopman, Cheryl; Zimbardo, Philip G.

doi:10.2307/3791831

Cited by 199Media Influence and HealthElectoral Systems and Political ParticipationFilm in Education and Therapy

The psychological impact of viewing the film JFK: Emotions, beliefs and political behavioral intentions

Butler, Lisa D., Koopman, Cheryl, Zimbardo, Philip G.·1995·Political Psychology

DOI 10.2307/3791831

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Lisa D. Butler, Cheryl Koopman, Philip G. Zimbardo, The Psychological Impact of Viewing the Film "JFK": Emotions, Beliefs, and Political Behavioral Intentions, Political Psychology, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Jun., 1995), pp. 237-257

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Exposure to conspiracy theories has been found to have detrimental effects in other domains, such as reducing pro-environmental intentions and willingness to engage in politics.
“Also, exposure to conspiracy theories has been found to have detrimental effects in other domains, such as reducing pro-environmental intentions and willingness to engage in politics [21], [22].”
From The Effects of Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theories on Vaccination Intentions (2014) · cites this paper as [21]

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How conspiracy theories can stimulate political engagement
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“As Butler, Koopman, and Zimbardo (1995) put it, “Oliver Stone’s JFK presents a cynical, if not overwhelming, vision of a degree of governmental corruption and intrigue that even the president of the United States could not combat” (252).”
Background
Conspiracy Theories and Philosophy
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“and affective words in the contributions made by FC and NC in the observation period. Specifically, based on previous research associating conspiratorial belief with anxiety, paranoia and insecurity [11,20], we measure users’ proclivity to such psychological factors as follows. •Cognitiveandaffectiveprocesses:Research…”
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Conspiracy Theory Phobia
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Conspiracy Theories in Post-Soviet Russia
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Down the Rabbit Hole We Go!
(2018) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0001 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Conspiratorial Thinking and Political Constraint
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Adkins, T., & Castle, J. J. (2013) · Social Science Quarterly · doi:10.1111/ssqu.12070 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
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How exposure to real conspiracy theories motivates collective action and political engagement? Τhe moderating role of primed victimhood and underlying emotional mechanisms in the case of 2018 bushfire in Attica
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Democracy and belief in conspiracy theories in New Zealand
Marques, M. D., Hill, S., Clarke, E. J. R., Williams, M. N., Ling, M., Kerr, J. R., Douglas, K. M., Cichocka, A. K., & Sibley, C. G. (2022) · Australian Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1080/10361146.2022.2122773 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Other research has found that exposure to conspiracy theories may undermine democratic norms such as electoral confidence and willingness to accept official election results (Albertson and Guiler 2020), and decrease intentions to vote (Jolley and Douglas 2014; Butler, Koopman, and Zimbardo 1995).”
Background
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Wood, M. J., & Douglas, K. M. (2018) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0016 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
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“Our study design is similar to the one used by Iguarta and Barrios (2012), which was itself inspired by earlier similar works (e.g., Butler et al., 1995; Koopman et al., 2006; Iguarta, 2010, Study 3).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Elemente des Verschwörungsdenkens
Hessel, F. (2020) · psychosozial · doi:10.30820/0171-3434-2020-1-15 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
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“Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: control (baseline attitudes) and LC ad, following an experimental approach from attitude change literature (Butler, Koopman, and Zimbardo 1995).”
Method
Trait anger and approach motivation are related to higher endorsement of specific and generic conspiracy beliefs
Szymaniak, K., Zajenkowski, M., Fronczyk, K., Leung, S. J., & Harmon‐Jones, E. (2023) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2023.104374 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Identificación con los personajes y persuasión incidental a través de la ficción cinematográfica
Perosanz, J. J. I. (2008) · Escritos de Psicología / Psychological Writings · doi:10.24310/espsiescpsi.v2i1.13358 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“También se ha constatado que la exposición a contenidos específicos de ficción como relatos escritos, largometrajes (JFK, The Day After, Fahrenheit 9/11), series de televisión (Law and Order) o producciones audiovisuales desarrolladas en el campo de la educación-entretenimiento, ejerce efectos significativos en las ac…”
BackgroundInfluential
The Politics of Disruption
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Conspiracy Theory
McKenzie-McHarg, A. (2018) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0004 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Media Marginalization of Racial Minorities
Orr, M., & Husting, G. (2018) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0005 · Cited by 15 · see citing works

Authors: Butler, L. D., Koopman, C., & Zimbardo, P. G.
Affiliations: Stanford University (US)
ORCID: Butler, Lisa D.
Zimbardo, Philip G.
Venue: Political Psychology
Publisher: JSTOR
Published: 1995-06
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Pages: 237
ISSN: 0162-895X (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.2307/3791831
OpenAlex: W2073945478
Cited by: 199
References: 22
Citations by year: 2026: 6 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
FWCI: 8.69
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Political Psychology (publishedVersion)
Funders: Eli Lilly and Company
American Psychological Association
Topics: Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Film in Education and Therapy
Keywords: film viewing, political attitudes, political beliefs, political behavior, emotions in politics, media influence

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The psychological impact of viewing the film JFK: Emotions, beliefs and political behavioral intentions

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