Cinematic narrative transportation and prosocial tendencies in college students: a moderated mediation model
- 1School of Performing Arts, Sichuan University of Media and Communications
- 2College of Education, Chengdu College of Arts and Sciences
- 3SUMC-NYFA Joint School, Sichuan University of Media and Communications
Abstract
Background: Narrative-based entertainment has been associated with audience members’ values and behavioral tendencies, yet the mechanisms linking cinematic narrative experiences to prosocial tendencies remain unclear. Drawing on narrative transportation theory and character identification theory, this study examined whether character identification mediates the association between cinematic narrative transportation and prosocial tendencies among college students and whether moral identity moderates the second stage of this indirect pathway.
Methods: A cross-sectional film-viewing survey was conducted with 1054 Chinese undergraduates ( M = 20.64 ± 1.62 years; 60.06% female). After viewing Dying to Survive , participants completed the narrative engagement scale, character identification scale, moral identity scale and prosocial behavior measure(used to assess prosocial tendencies). PROCESS Models 4 and 14, with 5,000 bootstrap samples, were used to test the mediation and moderated mediation models.
Results: Narrative transportation was positively correlated with prosocial tendencies ( r = 0.67, p < 0.01). Character identification partially explained the association (indirect effect = 0.012, Boot 95% CI excluding zero;2.72% of the total effect). Moral identity moderated the character identification–prosocial tendencies pathway ( b = 0.106, p = 0.009): the association was significant at moderate and high levels of moral identity ( b = 0.090 and 0.139, respectively, p < 0.001), but not at a low level ( b = 0.013, p = 0.691). The conditional indirect effects followed the same pattern (moderate: indirect effect = 0.014, 95% Boot CI [0.007, 0.023]; high: indirect effect = 0.022, 95% Boot CI [0.011, 0.034]; index of moderated mediation = 0.017, 95% Boot CI [0.005, 0.031]).
Conclusion: Cinematic narrative transportation was associated with college students’ prosocial tendencies partly through character identification, with moral identity serving as a moderating factor in this process. Film-based aesthetic education featuring moral growth arcs may be related to prosocial tendencies, particularly among students with higher moral identity.
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BibTeX
@article{tang2026cinematic,
title = {{Cinematic narrative transportation and prosocial tendencies in college students: a moderated mediation model}},
author = {Yifei Tang and Man Chen and Yujun Deng and Cheng Wei and Yaoyao Zhou and Lingjuan Wang and Yisong Yang},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1976033},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1976033/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cinematic narrative transportation and prosocial tendencies in college students: a moderated mediation model
AU - Yifei Tang
AU - Man Chen
AU - Yujun Deng
AU - Cheng Wei
AU - Yaoyao Zhou
AU - Lingjuan Wang
AU - Yisong Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1976033
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1976033/full
AB - Background: Narrative-based entertainment has been associated with audience members’ values and behavioral tendencies, yet the mechanisms linking cinematic narrative experiences to prosocial tendencies remain unclear. Drawing on narrative transportation theory and character identification theory, this study examined whether character identification mediates the association between cinematic narrative transportation and prosocial tendencies among college students and whether moral identity moderates the second stage of this indirect pathway. Methods: A cross-sectional film-viewing survey was conducted with 1054 Chinese undergraduates ( M = 20.64 ± 1.62 years; 60.06% female). After viewing Dying to Survive , participants completed the narrative engagement scale, character identification scale, moral identity scale and prosocial behavior measure(used to assess prosocial tendencies). PROCESS Models 4 and 14, with 5,000 bootstrap samples, were used to test the mediation and moderated mediation models. Results: Narrative transportation was positively correlated with prosocial tendencies ( r = 0.67, p < 0.01). Character identification partially explained the association (indirect effect = 0.012, Boot 95% CI excluding zero;2.72% of the total effect). Moral identity moderated the character identification–prosocial tendencies pathway ( b = 0.106, p = 0.009): the association was significant at moderate and high levels of moral identity ( b = 0.090 and 0.139, respectively, p < 0.001), but not at a low level ( b = 0.013, p = 0.691). The conditional indirect effects followed the same pattern (moderate: indirect effect = 0.014, 95% Boot CI [0.007, 0.023]; high: indirect effect = 0.022, 95% Boot CI [0.011, 0.034]; index of moderated mediation = 0.017, 95% Boot CI [0.005, 0.031]). Conclusion: Cinematic narrative transportation was associated with college students’ prosocial tendencies partly through character identification, with moral identity serving as a moderating factor in this process. Film-based aesthetic education featuring moral growth arcs may be related to prosocial tendencies, particularly among students with higher moral identity.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -