Description
Although many film scholars describe characters’ psychological motivations as the backbone of the mainstream story, the exact nature and content of these motivations remains unclear. A common concept described in this context is that of a protagonist’s Want and Need. The present work seeks to better understand this concept by drawing from relevant constructs in social psychology, including goals, basic human needs, and the content and structure of personal values described in the Schwartz (1992) Theory of Basic Human Values. Integrating theseinsights with relevant ideas from the film literature, a psycho-narratological model of Want and Need is developed. The model suggests that four conceptual levels - basic human needs, personal values, goals, and behaviours - need to be distinguished to understand characters’ motivations, their impact on the narrative, and how viewers understand them. The talk will present this model supported by a film example, including thoughts on how viewers identify a character’s Need before the character does so herself.
| Period | Jun 2020 |
|---|---|
| Event title | The Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image - Conference 2020 |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Grand Rapids, United States, MichiganShow on map |