Interview with Aaron Balick

The psychology of television

What is the attraction of TV?

“There are two basic reasons for tuning into our favourite TV shows continuously:

Diversion - Many of us seek diversion through television to get a break from the stress of everyday life. By diverting our attention, we can get a bit of light relief by tuning into someone else’s life on television.

Identification - A psychological term that describes when you see a character in a film or TV show as representing a part of yourself. By identifying with a character, we may experience some comfort that can help us feel less alone in the world. Alternatively, we may try and learn by how the character deals with the situation.”

What makes a particular TV show so addictive?

“Some TV shows have addictive qualities wired right into them. It’s no coincidence that episodes end on a cliff hanger – the ‘how are they going to get out of this’ keeps us coming back for more.

“What determines people’s interest is complex. Game of Thrones could attract those into fantasy drama as much as those into political intrigue – it is a matter of the draw for a particular person. Something like Black Mirror is of interest to those who are curious about the dark side of technology and human nature. The myriad variety of television today has a pull for everyone. Social media and other online forums enable enthusiastic interest groups to grow around them, which can increase interest and attention.”

The formula for the ‘winning’ character

“There are lots of models that writers use to trigger ‘buy in’ from an audience and to get them feeling attached to the characters. This is often done by making some characters more appealing than others or setting up storylines where the viewer is somewhat manipulated into identifying with particular characters.

“Many dramatic writers use versions of ‘the hero’s journey’ which is a series of steps that the main character has to go through. Usually a character is pulled out of their ordinary world by some sort of extraordinary circumstance – they face a series of trials and conflicts – they are helped by friends, hindered by enemies – they reach a moment when they are about to give up – but usually in the end they succeed and learn from their experience and become a better person.”

What is the role of social media in the viewing experience?

“Social media can enable a real-time shared experience of watching something together. It enables a kind of scale for sharing that wasn’t possible until recently. Nowadays you no longer need to wait for that ‘water cooler’ moment at work to share your thoughts about last night’s telly (streaming is a whole other thing). You can do it live on Twitter via a hashtag or watch alongside your friends on Facebook.

“There are downsides to this too, of course. Most notably spoilers. It is far too easy these days to find out what happened by way of Twitter rather than experiencing the climax yourself.”

Aaron Balick, PhD is a psychotherapist, cultural theorist, public speaker and author, applying ideas from psychology to culture and technology.