Watching down cortisol levels? Effects of movie entertainment on psychophysiological recovery

• Main Authors: Diana Rieger, Gary Bente
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG 2018-06-01
• Series: Studies in Communication, Media
• Online Access: https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/2192-4007-2018-2-103

Research on recovery from stress demonstrated that entertaining movies increase psychological detachment and relaxation. In addition, entertainment experiences foster feelings of vitality and thereby contribute to well-being. The current study tested whether movies can be beneficial after stressful situations in order to recover. Saliva cortisol was assessed to relate a physiological measure to experiences of recovery and vitality. In an experiment (N = 60), participants were stressed before they either watched a hedonic, a eudaimonic, or a calm, neutral movie. Results demonstrated that media stimuli amplify recovery experiences when they convey more entertainment experiences (hedonic and/or eudaimonic). Further, cortisol levels influenced vitality by enhancing energetic arousal and affect. These results are discussed regarding the interpretation of physiological indicators to study work strain.