Nurit Tal-Or
Biographic Data
| ID | 3620033 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nurit Tal-Or |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nurit |
| FAMILY NAME | Tal-Or |
| SIGNATURE | TAL-OR N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Haifa |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 37 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Sweet love, bitter breakup: Exploring the impact of food intake on identification with media characters
Previous research has documented the effects of media engagement on food consumption. In this study, we explore the reverse effects of eating food of different tastes on engagement with media characters. Based on the similarity-identification hypothesis and on embodied cognition theories we expected that a sweet taste would increase identification with a protagonist in love, while a bitter taste would enhance identification with a heartbroken pro…
The effect of types of language mistakes on the persuasiveness of user-generated content on Facebook
Sensing the media character: The experience of parasocial interaction, but not identification, as a real physical occurrence
Concreteness and Abstractness as Causes and Effects of Identification with Media Characters
We explored new antecedents and consequences of identification with media characters that are related to concreteness or abstractness of representations. First, we examined how the portrayal of the protagonist’s behavior affects the reader’s identification with her. Participants read one of four narratives in which we manipulated the character’s usual behavior (abstract traits) and her behavior on a specific bad day (concrete states). As expected…
The Impact of Testimony Journalism on Audience Engagement: An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Point of View
New modes of journalism, such as testimony journalism, use the first-person to let members of marginalized communities tell their stories in their own words and increase the audience’s affinity with them. However, the assumption that this strategy fosters audience affinity has not been empirically investigated. We build on findings from media psychology, demonstrating that the point of view (POV) from which a narrative is told affects engagement …
Embodied Cognition and Media Engagement: When the Loneliness of the Protagonist Makes the Reader Sense Coldness (and Vice Versa)
Embodied cognition research documents the interplay between physical sensations and corresponding psychological experiences within the individual. Accordingly, physical warmth leads to a sense of social inclusion, and being socially rejected leads to physical coldness. In the current research, we demonstrate that these embodied cognition relationships also apply to a media consumer and a media character with whom the consumer identifies. In Study…
The Effects of Co-Viewers on the Viewing Experience
Although media consumption often occurs with others, relatively few studies have documented the effect of co-viewing on the viewing experience. Moreover, theories of media effects generally focus on the individual and do not pay attention to group processes. Thus, previous co-viewing research has used various theories related to different aspects specific to each study, making it difficult to comprehend the connections between the studies. The ai…
The Relationship Between Viewing Environment, Narrative Environment, and Involvement With Narratives: The Case of Temperature
Three studies explored the mutual effects of the physical environment of watching a narrative text and involvement with that text, using temperature. In Study 1, the temperatures in the room and the film were manipulated. As expected, a match between the temperatures enhanced the enjoyment of the film through the mediation of the perceived match and either transportation into the narrative, identification with the narrative's protagonist, or enga…
Textual Primacy Online: Impression Formation Based on Textual and Visual Cues in Facebook Profiles
The existing literature presents ambivalent evidence regarding the significance of visual cues, as opposed to textual cues, in the process of impression formation. While visual information may have a strong effect due to its vividness and immediate absorption, textual information might be more powerful due to its solid, unambiguous nature. This debate is particularly relevant in the context of online social networks, whose users share textual and…
When Arabs and Jews Watch TV Together: The Joint Effect of the Content and Context of Communication on Reducing Prejudice
While previous research has examined the effect of the content and context of communication on the communication experience and effect, this study explored their interactive effect with an eye to reducing stereotypes and prejudice. In an experiment, Israeli Jews watched a movie about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was edited to be either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli in the company of either a Jew or an Arab confederate coviewer. We then …
The Right Faces for Right-Wing and Left-Wing Politicians
Researchers of the baby-face stereotype maintain that having a more adult-looking face contributes to success in the political arena. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed in previous research. This study suggests that more mature faces will be beneficial only for left-wing politicians whose public perception suffers from the appearance of a lack of dominance. Furthermore, with regard to only left-wing politicians, we also hypothesized …
The Tempering Effect of Transportation: Exploring the Effects of Transportation and Identification During Exposure to Controversial Two-Sided Narratives
In 2 studies, we explored the effects of transportation and identification on attitudes following exposure to relevant and controversial 2-sided narratives. Participants read a story featuring 2 protagonists who held 2 opposing positions about a provocative issue. In Study 1, we manipulated identification and found that identification with the concordant character tended to polarize attitudes whereas identification with the discordant character t…
Self-Disclosure and the Liking of Participants in Reality TV: Self-Disclosure in Reality TV
Reality TV shows are characterized by the very intimate self-disclosure of their participants early on in the shows. In everyday interactions, however, such intimate self-disclosure is welcomed only when it evolves gradually. This discrepancy between reality shows and real life apparently contradicts previous research documenting the similarity between real relationships and relationships with media characters. The current research explores this …
Understanding audience involvement: Conceptualizing and manipulating identification and transportation
Indirect Ingratiation: Pleasing People by Associating Them with Successful Others and by Praising Their Associates
Most of the literature on impression management considers direct tactics such as self-promoting by mentioningpersonal achievements and ingratiating by comp l i m enting others. These direct tactics can backfire if the target recognizes the hidden motive behind them. Therefore, people often use indirect impression management tactics. Previous research has shown that people promote themselves indirectly by associating themselves with successful oth…
Communicative Behaviors of Outperformers and Their Perception by the Outperformed People
Four studies explored the communicative behaviors of people who outperform others in a relevant or irrelevant field and the impression formed of these outperformers by the outperformed people. In line with the premises of the self-evaluation maintenance model (A. Tesser, 1988) and the STTUC framework (J. J. Exline & M. Lobel, 1999), Studies 1 and 2 predicted and found that people tend to conceal their achievements in conversation with a person wh…
Counterfactual Thinking as a Mechanism in Narrative Persuasion
Two experiments examined the impact of counterfactual thinking on persuasion. Participants in both experiments were exposed to short video clips in which an actor described a car accident that resulted in serious injury. In the narrative description, the salience of a counterfactual was manipulated by either explicitly including the counterfactual in the narrative or by not including it. An examination of attitudes related to traffic safety suppo…
Impressions formed in response to public self-evaluation maintenance strategies
Understanding audience involvement: Conceptualizing and manipulating identification and transportation
The Effects of Co-Viewers on the Viewing Experience
Although media consumption often occurs with others, relatively few studies have documented the effect of co-viewing on the viewing experience. Moreover, theories of media effects generally focus on the individual and do not pay attention to group processes. Thus, previous co-viewing research has used various theories related to different aspects specific to each study, making it difficult to comprehend the connections between the studies. The ai…
Self-Disclosure and the Liking of Participants in Reality TV: Self-Disclosure in Reality TV
Reality TV shows are characterized by the very intimate self-disclosure of their participants early on in the shows. In everyday interactions, however, such intimate self-disclosure is welcomed only when it evolves gradually. This discrepancy between reality shows and real life apparently contradicts previous research documenting the similarity between real relationships and relationships with media characters. The current research explores this …
The Relationship Between Viewing Environment, Narrative Environment, and Involvement With Narratives: The Case of Temperature
Three studies explored the mutual effects of the physical environment of watching a narrative text and involvement with that text, using temperature. In Study 1, the temperatures in the room and the film were manipulated. As expected, a match between the temperatures enhanced the enjoyment of the film through the mediation of the perceived match and either transportation into the narrative, identification with the narrative's protagonist, or enga…
Textual Primacy Online: Impression Formation Based on Textual and Visual Cues in Facebook Profiles
The existing literature presents ambivalent evidence regarding the significance of visual cues, as opposed to textual cues, in the process of impression formation. While visual information may have a strong effect due to its vividness and immediate absorption, textual information might be more powerful due to its solid, unambiguous nature. This debate is particularly relevant in the context of online social networks, whose users share textual and…
The Impact of Testimony Journalism on Audience Engagement: An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Point of View
New modes of journalism, such as testimony journalism, use the first-person to let members of marginalized communities tell their stories in their own words and increase the audience’s affinity with them. However, the assumption that this strategy fosters audience affinity has not been empirically investigated. We build on findings from media psychology, demonstrating that the point of view (POV) from which a narrative is told affects engagement …
Indirect Ingratiation: Pleasing People by Associating Them with Successful Others and by Praising Their Associates
Most of the literature on impression management considers direct tactics such as self-promoting by mentioningpersonal achievements and ingratiating by comp l i m enting others. These direct tactics can backfire if the target recognizes the hidden motive behind them. Therefore, people often use indirect impression management tactics. Previous research has shown that people promote themselves indirectly by associating themselves with successful oth…
Communicative Behaviors of Outperformers and Their Perception by the Outperformed People
Four studies explored the communicative behaviors of people who outperform others in a relevant or irrelevant field and the impression formed of these outperformers by the outperformed people. In line with the premises of the self-evaluation maintenance model (A. Tesser, 1988) and the STTUC framework (J. J. Exline & M. Lobel, 1999), Studies 1 and 2 predicted and found that people tend to conceal their achievements in conversation with a person wh…
Impressions formed in response to public self-evaluation maintenance strategies
Counterfactual Thinking as a Mechanism in Narrative Persuasion
Two experiments examined the impact of counterfactual thinking on persuasion. Participants in both experiments were exposed to short video clips in which an actor described a car accident that resulted in serious injury. In the narrative description, the salience of a counterfactual was manipulated by either explicitly including the counterfactual in the narrative or by not including it. An examination of attitudes related to traffic safety suppo…
Impressions formed in response to public self-evaluation maintenance strategies
Communicative Behaviors of Outperformers and Their Perception by the Outperformed People
Four studies explored the communicative behaviors of people who outperform others in a relevant or irrelevant field and the impression formed of these outperformers by the outperformed people. In line with the premises of the self-evaluation maintenance model (A. Tesser, 1988) and the STTUC framework (J. J. Exline & M. Lobel, 1999), Studies 1 and 2 predicted and found that people tend to conceal their achievements in conversation with a person wh…
Understanding audience involvement: Conceptualizing and manipulating identification and transportation
Indirect Ingratiation: Pleasing People by Associating Them with Successful Others and by Praising Their Associates
Most of the literature on impression management considers direct tactics such as self-promoting by mentioningpersonal achievements and ingratiating by comp l i m enting others. These direct tactics can backfire if the target recognizes the hidden motive behind them. Therefore, people often use indirect impression management tactics. Previous research has shown that people promote themselves indirectly by associating themselves with successful oth…
The Tempering Effect of Transportation: Exploring the Effects of Transportation and Identification During Exposure to Controversial Two-Sided Narratives
In 2 studies, we explored the effects of transportation and identification on attitudes following exposure to relevant and controversial 2-sided narratives. Participants read a story featuring 2 protagonists who held 2 opposing positions about a provocative issue. In Study 1, we manipulated identification and found that identification with the concordant character tended to polarize attitudes whereas identification with the discordant character t…
Self-Disclosure and the Liking of Participants in Reality TV: Self-Disclosure in Reality TV
Reality TV shows are characterized by the very intimate self-disclosure of their participants early on in the shows. In everyday interactions, however, such intimate self-disclosure is welcomed only when it evolves gradually. This discrepancy between reality shows and real life apparently contradicts previous research documenting the similarity between real relationships and relationships with media characters. The current research explores this …
When Arabs and Jews Watch TV Together: The Joint Effect of the Content and Context of Communication on Reducing Prejudice
While previous research has examined the effect of the content and context of communication on the communication experience and effect, this study explored their interactive effect with an eye to reducing stereotypes and prejudice. In an experiment, Israeli Jews watched a movie about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was edited to be either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli in the company of either a Jew or an Arab confederate coviewer. We then …
The Right Faces for Right-Wing and Left-Wing Politicians
Researchers of the baby-face stereotype maintain that having a more adult-looking face contributes to success in the political arena. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed in previous research. This study suggests that more mature faces will be beneficial only for left-wing politicians whose public perception suffers from the appearance of a lack of dominance. Furthermore, with regard to only left-wing politicians, we also hypothesized …
Textual Primacy Online: Impression Formation Based on Textual and Visual Cues in Facebook Profiles
The existing literature presents ambivalent evidence regarding the significance of visual cues, as opposed to textual cues, in the process of impression formation. While visual information may have a strong effect due to its vividness and immediate absorption, textual information might be more powerful due to its solid, unambiguous nature. This debate is particularly relevant in the context of online social networks, whose users share textual and…
The Effects of Co-Viewers on the Viewing Experience
Although media consumption often occurs with others, relatively few studies have documented the effect of co-viewing on the viewing experience. Moreover, theories of media effects generally focus on the individual and do not pay attention to group processes. Thus, previous co-viewing research has used various theories related to different aspects specific to each study, making it difficult to comprehend the connections between the studies. The ai…
The Relationship Between Viewing Environment, Narrative Environment, and Involvement With Narratives: The Case of Temperature
Three studies explored the mutual effects of the physical environment of watching a narrative text and involvement with that text, using temperature. In Study 1, the temperatures in the room and the film were manipulated. As expected, a match between the temperatures enhanced the enjoyment of the film through the mediation of the perceived match and either transportation into the narrative, identification with the narrative's protagonist, or enga…
Embodied Cognition and Media Engagement: When the Loneliness of the Protagonist Makes the Reader Sense Coldness (and Vice Versa)
Embodied cognition research documents the interplay between physical sensations and corresponding psychological experiences within the individual. Accordingly, physical warmth leads to a sense of social inclusion, and being socially rejected leads to physical coldness. In the current research, we demonstrate that these embodied cognition relationships also apply to a media consumer and a media character with whom the consumer identifies. In Study…
The Impact of Testimony Journalism on Audience Engagement: An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Point of View
New modes of journalism, such as testimony journalism, use the first-person to let members of marginalized communities tell their stories in their own words and increase the audience’s affinity with them. However, the assumption that this strategy fosters audience affinity has not been empirically investigated. We build on findings from media psychology, demonstrating that the point of view (POV) from which a narrative is told affects engagement …
Sensing the media character: The experience of parasocial interaction, but not identification, as a real physical occurrence
Concreteness and Abstractness as Causes and Effects of Identification with Media Characters
We explored new antecedents and consequences of identification with media characters that are related to concreteness or abstractness of representations. First, we examined how the portrayal of the protagonist’s behavior affects the reader’s identification with her. Participants read one of four narratives in which we manipulated the character’s usual behavior (abstract traits) and her behavior on a specific bad day (concrete states). As expected…
The effect of types of language mistakes on the persuasiveness of user-generated content on Facebook
Sweet love, bitter breakup: Exploring the impact of food intake on identification with media characters
Previous research has documented the effects of media engagement on food consumption. In this study, we explore the reverse effects of eating food of different tastes on engagement with media characters. Based on the similarity-identification hypothesis and on embodied cognition theories we expected that a sweet taste would increase identification with a protagonist in love, while a bitter taste would enhance identification with a heartbroken pro…
Psychology (18 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Media Influence and Health (12 works) · Media, Gender, and Advertising (8 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Narrative (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Cognitive psychology (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (5 works)