Bet you didn’t know watching sentimental movies can shape your political views.
New research suggests watching those types of films can make people “more liberal.” Researchers at the University of Notre Dame found that students who watched movies with “liberal” themes and undertones saw a leftward shift in their political views.
Dr Todd Adkins, the study’s lead author, wrote that: “Media effects research has generally ignored the possibility that popular films can affect political attitudes,” an omission which he described as “puzzling”.
Dr Adkins said that those who watched the films with both subtle and strong liberal messages were likely to experience leftward shifts in attitude, regardless of their stances beforehand.
“Viewers come expecting to be entertained and are not prepared to encounter and evaluate political messages as they would during campaign advertisements or network news,” he said.
