Currently, my research topic is focused on how pernicious activity depicted in films (use of tobacco products, substance abuse, and premature and/or unprotected copulation) psychologically instigates viewers to adopt similar practices into their own lives. Initially, my topic pertained to the effect a medium has on the perception of its content. I then refined this topic to analyze different mediums that convey the same content, specifically novels and their theatrical adaptations. From here, I altered my research topic to study the influence of harmful practices portrayed in The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, and Requiem for a Dream. Upon further contemplation, I realized this was far too specific to attempt to analyze the psychological effect of three films on viewers; this topic would have required an original research experiment. Further refinement yielded my current topic.
Thus far, I have collected four scholarly sources relevant to my topic. Each source provides a psychological study that analyzes the effect harmful practices shown in films have on viewers. Two of these sources specifically focus on cigarette smoking in films, while the other two analyze premature copulation and substance abuse in films. Having only read one of these sources in its entirety, I have not yet garnered a sufficient amount of information to begin writing my paper. However, even with only one source read, I learned that relating or resonating with a film's protagonist can impel viewers to try smoking cigarettes or smoke more often if the protagonist is shown smoking in the film. I'm looking forward to discussing this variable as well as the many others that comprise the overall effect of films on viewers.
As far as structuring my paper, I plan to first discuss the evidence offered by the aforementioned scholarly sources. I think this will provide a strong foundation. Then, I plan on identifying several films and conducting semiotic analyses of each. After breaking down each film, I will incorporate the findings from the psychological studies in order to determine if there are any reoccurring variables present within the films that may possess psychological influence. The films I am hoping to do so with are Requiem for a Dream, The Royal Tenenbaums, Drive, and The Place Beyond the Pines.
