M Appel
Biographic Data
| ID | 65659 |
|---|---|
| NAME | M Appel |
| GIVEN NAMES | M |
| FAMILY NAME | Appel |
| SIGNATURE | APPEL M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Würzburg |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4111-1308 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 53 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 58 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 52 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Narrativity and its effects on reading experiences, empathy, and intergroup attitudes
According to various theoretical approaches, stories provide the opportunity to enhance empathy and intergroup attitudes.In two preregistered online experiments with U.S.-based participants recruited via an online panel, we examined how narrativity affects the impact of a graphic narrative on reading processes, empathy, and intergroup attitudes.In Experiment 1 (N 5 781), narrativity was manipulated by moving the climax from the end to the beginni…
Approaching Climate Change Through Fiction? The Effects of Coping Dispositions on Preferences for Climate Fiction Versus Non-Fiction
Climate change is a psychological threat. This research investigates how coping dispositions (vigilance and cognitive avoidance) affect preferences for fictional versus non-fictional information about climate change. Because fictional stories are usually sought out for entertainment rather than informational utility and allow to experience threatening issues at an aesthetic distance, we propose that fiction might be avoided less than nonfiction b…
Algorithmic bias in image-generating artificial intelligence: Prevalence and user perceptions
Image-generating AI is among the most popular generative AI applications, likely changing the visual mediated environments humans are exposed to on a mass scale. Prior work found that AI can be biased against women and minorities (algorithmic bias), whereas humans attribute rather high objectivity to AI. We focused on image-generating AI, analyzing the extent of algorithmic bias in AI-generated pictures and human responses to bias in image-genera…
Deepfake! A liar’s dividend for audiovisual material
Gender bias in text-to-image generative artificial intelligence: Neglect and stereotypical presentations across three popular platforms
Images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) were assumed to underrepresent women and to contain stereotypical portrayals. A total of 1344 images were generated at two times of measurement by DALL·E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion and were analyzed via a preregistered content analysis. Results revealed representational and presentational bias, varying between prompts and between AI platforms. Women were depicted less frequently than men in …
Reducing political polarization through conversations with artificial intelligence
Political polarization is threatening the welfare of individuals and societies. Connecting insights gained from interpersonal communication to human–machine communication, we hypothesized that positive interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) could reduce polarization between humans. To evaluate this proposition, two experiments were conducted, in which human participants (N = 1,035) communicated with AI chatbots in real time. The bots enga…
I, ChatGPT: Linguistic properties and human experiences of human- versus AI-generated stories
Generative AI is increasingly used to create texts, including fictional stories. Do stories generated by AI differ from stories created by humans regarding linguistic properties and recipients’ experiences? To answer these questions, we first asked ChatGPT and 100 non-professional human authors (i.e., students) to create stories based on similar prompts (Study 1). Linguistic analyses showed that ChatGPT stories included fewer personal pronouns an…
Attitudes, experiences, and usage intentions of artificial intelligence: A population study in Germany
The German population has favorable attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI). • AI applications in healthcare are rated more positive than AI in the workplace. • Cognitive evaluations of AI are more positive than emotional appraisals. • Prior experiences with AI in Germany are limited. • Demographic differences are generally small. Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly affects individuals’ private and professional lives. Importantly, bot…
Scrutinizing sexism in comedy under the lens of social identity threat and prejudiced norm theory: Are leadership aspirations and benevolent sexism affected
Perceived gender differences and the supposed flaws of women are frequently conveyed in comedy formats – yet the consequences of such humor may differ for female and male recipients. Theory and research on stereotype threat and social identity threat suggest that stereotyping or devaluing communication against women can lead to their decreased identification with domains in which they are negatively stereotyped. Additionally, according to prejudi…
The impact of exposure to generative AI art on aesthetic appreciation, perceptions of AI mind, and evaluations of AI and of art careers
Visual art is increasingly created by generative artificial intelligence (generative AI). This study, conducted online with 470 US participants, investigated whether exposure to art attributed to AI may influence aesthetic appreciation, perceptions of AI mind, and evaluations of AI (acceptance of AI as an artist, evaluation of AI as an identity and realistic threat) and of art careers. Exposure to art introduced as generated by AI (vs a human art…
Can fictional stories beat the congeniality bias? Selective exposure to fiction and non-fiction
People prefer attitude-consistent information over attitude-inconsistent information (congeniality bias). Connecting theory on the processing of stories to selective exposure theory, we assumed that the congeniality bias is reduced or even nullified when it comes to fictional messages. Across two experiments examining two different, polarizing topics (refugees, N1 = 1,326; theistic faith, N2 = 1,316) a highly consistent pattern of results could b…
Communication and the self: Past, Present, and Future
This essay serves as an introduction to the special issue on 'Communication and the Self.' For over a century, scholars have been intensely interested in how communication intersects with the self, including foci on impression management, identity, and self-esteem. In recent years, new developments in technology and changing societal structures have prompted researchers to consider how traditional theories fare when applied in new contexts. In th…
Attitudes towards AI: Measurement and associations with personality
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of many contemporary technologies, such as social media platforms, smart devices, and global logistics systems. At the same time, research on the public acceptance of AI shows that many people feel quite apprehensive about the potential of such technologies—an observation that has been connected to both demographic and sociocultural user variables (e.g., age, previous media exposure). Yet, …
Creative artificial intelligence and narrative transportation
Women in fiction: Bechdel-Wallace Test results for the highest-grossing movies of the last four decades
Just a joke? Can sexist comedy harm women’s cognitive performance
The Experience of Emotional Shifts in Narrative Persuasion
Recent theory on narrative processes suggests that changes in recipients’ emotional responses (emotional shifts) are characteristic of immersed story processing and precursors of narrative impact. In two experiments and a pilot study, a novel self-probed emotional retrospection task was used to measure emotional shifts. We examined the link between transportation and emotional shifts and the association of these processes with story-consistent at…
Improving evaluations of advanced robots by depicting them in harmful situations
Swipe right? Using beauty filters in male Tinder profiles reduces women's evaluations of trustworthiness but increases physical attractiveness and dating intention
Emotional shifts, event-congruent emotions, and transportation in narrative persuasion
Emotional shifts in stories are assumed to contribute to narrative persuasion by enhancing engagement with the story. This effect might depend on the congruency of audiences' emotional experience to the emotions implied by the story. In two experiments with wellcontrolled story manipulations, we compared the persuasive effect of stories with shifts in valence (from positive to negative to positive) to continuously positive story versions and exam…
Mind ascribed to AI and the appreciation of AI-generated art
Creative artificial intelligence (AI) has received a lot of attention in recent years. Artworks that are introduced to be generated by AI (rather than a human artist) are, however, often evaluated negatively. Integrating extant research, we suggest that AI is ascribed less mind (i.e. agency and experience) which is responsible for this effect. In two experiments ( N = 176 and N = 381) we observed negative indirect effects of artist information (A…
Watching Videos on a Smartphone: Do Small Screens Impair Narrative Transportation
Smartphones are a preferred platform to access audiovisual stories. Prior theory and research suggest that using smaller screens could lead to a shallower narrative experience. In three experiments we examined the influence of screen size (smartphone vs. computer screen) on the experience of being transported into the world of the story (narrative transportation). We further examined interaction effects with manipulations meant to change transpor…
Real-time responses to stories: Linking valence shifts to post-exposure emotional flow and transportation
Narrative experiences are characterized by dynamic emotional responses. Research has begun to investigate implications of emotional shifts for narrative processing, but the continuous measurement of emotion poses a challenge. This study examines how valence shifts captured using real-time response (RTR) measurement during two films relate to transportation and post-exposure self-reported emotional flow. Across both films, valence shifts (in terms…
The role of motivated science reception and numeracy in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic
The successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on individuals accepting the current state of research and adhering to the preventive behaviors that follow from it. However, the processing of scientific results is not always rational, but influenced by prior attitudes as well as the ability to understand statistical data. Against this background, this study investigated the role of motivated reasoning and numeracy in the context of the…
Beliefs about the nature of knowledge shape responses to the pandemic: Epistemic beliefs, the Dark Factor of Personality, and Covid‐19–related conspiracy ideation and behavior
OBJECTIVE: Global challenges such as climate change or the COVID-19 pandemic have drawn public attention to conspiracy theories and citizens' non-compliance to science-based behavioral guidelines. We focus on individuals' worldviews about how one can and should construct reality (epistemic beliefs) to explain the endorsement of conspiracy theories and behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and propose the Dark Factor of Personality (D) as an antec…
The Influence of Paratext on Narrative Persuasion: Fact, Fiction, or Fake
The present research examined the role of personality factors and paratextual information about the reliability of a story on its persuasiveness. Study 1 (N = 135) was focused on recipients' explicit expectations about the trustworthiness/usefulness and the immersiveness/entertainment value of stories introduced as nonfiction, fiction, or fake. Study 2 (experimental, N = 186) demonstrated that a story was persuasive in all three paratext conditio…
The detection of political deepfakes
Deepfake technology, allowing manipulations of audiovisual content by means of artificial intelligence, is on the rise. This has sparked concerns about a weaponization of manipulated videos for malicious ends. A theory on deepfake detection is presented and three preregistered studies examined the detection of deepfakes in the political realm (featuring UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Studies 1–3, or former U.S. President Barack Obama, Study 2…
Mediated Wisdom of Experience Revisited: Delay Discounting, Acceptance of Death, and Closeness to Future Self
This experiment, using excerpts from three Hollywood films, indicates that eudaimonic (meaningful) narratives increase willingness to accept delayed rewards (i.e., reduce delay discounting) and acceptance of death, mediated by the effect of eudaimonic narratives on perceived closeness to future self. Our findings provide support for the argument, and its derivation from socio-emotional selectivity theory, that the vicarious experience of life's t…
Mind ascribed to AI and the appreciation of AI-generated art
Creative artificial intelligence (AI) has received a lot of attention in recent years. Artworks that are introduced to be generated by AI (rather than a human artist) are, however, often evaluated negatively. Integrating extant research, we suggest that AI is ascribed less mind (i.e. agency and experience) which is responsible for this effect. In two experiments ( N = 176 and N = 381) we observed negative indirect effects of artist information (A…
Exploring the myth of the chubby gamer: A meta-analysis on sedentary video gaming and body mass
Empowering Stories: Transportation into Narratives with Strong Protagonists Increases Self-Related Control Beliefs
Several studies have shown that narratives can influence readers' beliefs about themselves. In the present study, our goal was to investigate whether stories portraying a strong protagonist can positively influence recipients' beliefs of being in control of events in their own lives (self-related control beliefs). Experiment 1 showed that narratives in both written text and video form with protagonists displaying high versus low self-efficacy can…
Anti‐Immigrant Propaganda by Radical Right Parties and the Intellectual Performance of Adolescents
In recent years radical right political parties have become a substantial electoral force in many countries around the world. Based on the vision of a mono‐ethnic state, anti‐immigration is these parties' core message. Connecting research on discrimination, social exclusion, and social identity threat, it was assumed that this anti‐immigrant propaganda undermines the intellectual performance of immigrant adolescents. In an experiment conducted at…
Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology
Stereotype threat is an uncomfortable psychological state that has been shown to impair cognitive ability test scores. It is an open question whether and in what ways it affects processes involved in learning and knowledge acquisition. This research examined whether stereotypes also interfere with test preparation among women in the domain of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Study 1 (N = 1058) revealed that people are awa…
Human-Like Robots and the Uncanny Valley: A Meta-Analysis of User Responses Based on the Godspeed Scales
In the field of human-robot interaction, the well-known uncanny valley hypothesis proposes a curvilinear relationship between a robot’s degree of human likeness and the observers’ responses to the robot. While low to medium human likeness should be associated with increased positive responses, a shift to negative responses is expected for highly anthropomorphic robots. As empirical findings on the uncanny valley hypothesis are inconclusive, we co…
Argument Strength and the Persuasiveness of Stories
Stories are a powerful means to change people's attitudes and beliefs. The aim of the current work was to shed light on the role of argument strength (argument quality) in narrative persuasion. The present study examined the influence of strong versus weak arguments on attitudes in a low or high narrative context. Moreover, baseline attitudes, interindividual differences in working memory capacity, and recipients' transportation were examined. St…
How to deal with researcher harassment in the social sciences
Communication and the self: Past, Present, and Future
This essay serves as an introduction to the special issue on 'Communication and the Self.' For over a century, scholars have been intensely interested in how communication intersects with the self, including foci on impression management, identity, and self-esteem. In recent years, new developments in technology and changing societal structures have prompted researchers to consider how traditional theories fare when applied in new contexts. In th…
The mediating role of event-congruent emotions in narrative persuasion
Persuasive Effects of Fictional Narratives Increase Over Time
Fact-related information contained in fictional narratives may induce substantial changes in readers' real-world beliefs. Current models of persuasion through fiction assume that these effects occur because readers are psychologically transported into the fictional world of the narrative. Contrary to general dual-process models of persuasion, models of persuasion through fiction also imply that persuasive effects of fictional narratives are persi…
Fictional Narratives Cultivate Just-World Beliefs
Cultivation research has identified several misrepresentations on television and has shown that the more people watch television, the more their beliefs correspond to the television world. In recent years, experimental research has demonstrated that fictional narratives are powerful means to change audience beliefs. Theories on the narrative structure of fictional narratives and disposition-based theories of media enjoyment suggest that televised…
Medienpsychologie
Transportation and Need for Affect in Narrative Persuasion: A Mediated Moderation Model
Two experiments investigated the idea that individual differences in need for affect are critical for narrative persuasion. Need for affect, that is, the disposition to approach emotions, was assumed to facilitate the experience of being transported into the mental world of the narrative. An intense experience of transportation, in turn, should enhance the persuasive impact of narrative information on readers' beliefs. A mediated moderation analy…
Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology
Stereotype threat is an uncomfortable psychological state that has been shown to impair cognitive ability test scores. It is an open question whether and in what ways it affects processes involved in learning and knowledge acquisition. This research examined whether stereotypes also interfere with test preparation among women in the domain of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Study 1 (N = 1058) revealed that people are awa…
Anti‐Immigrant Propaganda by Radical Right Parties and the Intellectual Performance of Adolescents
In recent years radical right political parties have become a substantial electoral force in many countries around the world. Based on the vision of a mono‐ethnic state, anti‐immigration is these parties' core message. Connecting research on discrimination, social exclusion, and social identity threat, it was assumed that this anti‐immigrant propaganda undermines the intellectual performance of immigrant adolescents. In an experiment conducted at…
The Influence of Paratext on Narrative Persuasion: Fact, Fiction, or Fake
The present research examined the role of personality factors and paratextual information about the reliability of a story on its persuasiveness. Study 1 (N = 135) was focused on recipients' explicit expectations about the trustworthiness/usefulness and the immersiveness/entertainment value of stories introduced as nonfiction, fiction, or fake. Study 2 (experimental, N = 186) demonstrated that a story was persuasive in all three paratext conditio…
The Persuasive Influence of a Fictional Character's Trustworthiness: Character Trustworthiness
The present research examined the role of a fictional character's trustworthiness on narrative persuasion. The authors suggest that trustworthiness indicators within the story, rather than paratextual cues (fact–fiction labeling) affect persuasive outcomes. An experiment on fuel-efficient driving behavior (green driving) was conducted, with behavioral intentions and self-reported behavior (3 weeks postexposure) as dependent variables. A story wit…
The Transportation Scale–Short Form (TS–SF)
One popular concept to capture the experience of being immersed into the world of a story is that of transportation. This article examines the factorial validity of the Transportation Scale (TS) and introduces a short and psychometrically sound alternative for the assessment of transportation. Exploratory bifactor modeling in Study 1 (N = 179) provided support for the hypothesized factor structure of the original TS with three facets and a genera…
Immigrant students’ educational trajectories: The influence of cultural identity and stereotype threat
Research has shown that stereotype threat can inhibit immigrant students to unlock their full potential. Individual differences in cultural identity could be associated with immigrants’ stereotype vulnerability. This longitudinal study (n = 516) investigates the influence of recurring experiences of stereotype threat at school, and how adolescent immigrants’ cultural identity and stereotype vulnerability affect their educational achievement. The …
The topography of the uncanny valley and individuals’ need for structure: A nonlinear mixed effects analysis
Self-transcendent Media Experiences: Taking Meaningful Media to a Higher Level
Interest in the meaningful sides of media entertainment has blossomed over the last decade, with numerous scholars examining how certain media content can enhance social good and well-being. Because social scientific work in this area is relatively new and is rapidly evolving, numerous conceptualizations of meaningful media experiences have been introduced. In this paper we argue for the importance of recognizing a unique form of media experience…
Narcissism and Social Networking Behavior: A Meta‐Analysis
OBJECTIVE: The increasing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook and Twitter has given rise to speculations that the intensity of using these platforms is associated with narcissistic tendencies. However, recent research on this issue has been all but conclusive. METHOD: We present a three-level, random effects meta-analysis including 289 effect sizes from 57 studies (total N = 25,631) on the association between trait narcis…
Argument Strength and the Persuasiveness of Stories
Stories are a powerful means to change people's attitudes and beliefs. The aim of the current work was to shed light on the role of argument strength (argument quality) in narrative persuasion. The present study examined the influence of strong versus weak arguments on attitudes in a low or high narrative context. Moreover, baseline attitudes, interindividual differences in working memory capacity, and recipients' transportation were examined. St…
Mediated Wisdom of Experience Revisited: Delay Discounting, Acceptance of Death, and Closeness to Future Self
This experiment, using excerpts from three Hollywood films, indicates that eudaimonic (meaningful) narratives increase willingness to accept delayed rewards (i.e., reduce delay discounting) and acceptance of death, mediated by the effect of eudaimonic narratives on perceived closeness to future self. Our findings provide support for the argument, and its derivation from socio-emotional selectivity theory, that the vicarious experience of life's t…
Are robots becoming unpopular? Changes in attitudes towards autonomous robotic systems in Europe
Empowering Stories: Transportation into Narratives with Strong Protagonists Increases Self-Related Control Beliefs
Several studies have shown that narratives can influence readers' beliefs about themselves. In the present study, our goal was to investigate whether stories portraying a strong protagonist can positively influence recipients' beliefs of being in control of events in their own lives (self-related control beliefs). Experiment 1 showed that narratives in both written text and video form with protagonists displaying high versus low self-efficacy can…
The mediating role of event-congruent emotions in narrative persuasion
Are Social Media Ruining Our Lives? A Review of Meta-Analytic Evidence
A growing number of studies have examined the psychological corollaries of using social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (often called social media). The interdisciplinary research area and conflicting evidence from primary studies complicate the assessment of current scholarly knowledge in this field of high public attention. We review meta-analytic evidence on three hotly debated topics regarding the effects of SN…
Do computer games jeopardize educational outcomes? A prospective study on gaming times and academic achievement
Playing computer and video games is a popular pastime activity for many adolescents worldwide. However, the increasing amount of time spent on these games each day raised fears that this comes at the expense of school and, over the long run, impairs academic achievement. Extending prior research, the present study on a sample of N = 3,554 German adolescents (56% girls) adopted a prospective design and examined the effects of the time playing comp…
Matter over mind? How the acceptance of digital entities depends on their appearance, mental prowess, and the interaction between both
The uncanny of mind in a machine: Humanoid robots as tools, agents, and experiencers
How to deal with researcher harassment in the social sciences
The emotional robotic storyteller: On the influence of affect congruency on narrative transportation, robot perception, and persuasion
The individual development of cultural identity and psychological well-being among adolescents with a migrant background in Austria: A longitudinal study
The cultural identity and psychological well-being of adolescents with a migrant background fluctuate over time, influenced by the social context. Stereotype vulnerability contributes to lower levels of psychological well-being among adolescents with a migrant background in Austria. Our findings highlight the necessity to partition the variance of constructs to avoid confounding of between-person and within-person effects. (PsycInfo Database Reco…
Psychology (43 works) · Social Psychology (29 works) · Media Influence and Health (23 works) · Computer Science (18 works) · Art (14 works) · Narrative (14 works) · Literature (12 works) · Social Psychology (11 works) · Artificial Intelligence (10 works) · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment (10 works)