Media Effects and Audience Satisfaction: A Comprehensive Study of Self-Transcendence in Online Talk Show Documentaries from a Social Sciences Viewpoint
Ruyuan Han
Mohd Nor Shahizan Ali
Mohd Azul Mohamad Salleh
This research delves into the impact of self-transcendence themes within online talk show documentaries on audience satisfaction, emotional engagement, and the relevance of social science theories. We conducted a mixed-methods study, encompassing surveys, content analysis, and statistical analysis, to investigate the complex relationship between the presence of self-transcendence themes and audience responses. To evaluate how the films' themes of self-transcendence influenced emotional engagement and to identify the precise feelings elicited in the audience, we conducted a content analysis on a subset of online chat show documentaries. Our study found that self-transcendence themes positively correlate with audience satisfaction. The Pearson correlation coefficient between selftranscendence and audience satisfaction was 0.85, indicating a robust and positive association. Online talk-show documentaries exploring self-transcendence themes consistently elicited higher satisfaction among viewers. The presence of self-transcendence themes significantly affected emotional engagement. Viewers reported a mean emotional engagement score of 7.83 when self-transcendence themes were present, reflecting a strong emotional connection with the content. In contrast, emotional engagement dropped considerably when these themes were absent, with a mean score of 3.5. This study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of self-transcendence themes in online talk show documentaries on audience experiences and provides insights into the applicability of social science theories in explaining these responses.
Keywords:Self-transcendence, Online talk show, documentaries, Audience satisfaction, Emotional engagement, Social science theories
