Filling in the Narrative: Film Music as a Cue for Moral Judgment

The portrayal of characters in film and entertainment hold heavy implications for the future conceptions of morality held by its audience. Given its ability to influence viewers' sense of connection with film characters (Hoeckner et al., 2011), we now ask whether it can additionally influence moral interpretations of those characters. We adapt and replicate the study conducted by Hoeckner et al. to test whether thriller and melodrama music shift the moral attributions made about an ambiguous character. Thriller music was found to significantly lower interpretations of morality as well as likability and certainty of thought and simultaneously increase interpretations of vulnerability compared to melodrama music. These effects were significantly different from when the film clips were silent. Possible mechanisms and implications are discussed.