Empirical Research

As a psychologist, the focus of my work – in art and in empirical research – is always people and their realities of life. This includes our emotions, memories, expectations, hopes and actions. Working in the field of media psychology, I’m particular drawn to the question why we prefer certain media, media genres and media content. 

Since 2015, I work as an academic assistant at the Chair of Applied Media Studies at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg. I’ve graduated 2016 (Dr.rer.nat.; PhD) at the Humboldt University Berlin. In 2019, I was awarded with a 3-year scholarship from the PostDoc Network Brandenburg. My current research focus includes empirical aesthetics as well as how personality traits influence our preferences for specific genres of visual art, music or fictional film. Further research interests focus on processes of media selection and media-mediated interaction.

Current research project (habilitation): New Media – a new Me? The influence of individual differences and self-concepts on how we interact with media today. 

Newest Publication

Nowack (2024). From Inglorious Basterds, Aliens, and Hobbits: Individual Temporal Orientation and the Structure of Fictional Film Preferences. Psychology of Popular Media. Advance Online Publication.
 

Abstract:

What distinguishes our aesthetic experience of Middle Earth from Tarantino’s hybrid genre settings? To what extent does individual temporal orientation influence whether we prefer fast action or epic fantasy movies? Because film genres share stylistic and narrative elements, this study aimed to provide a categorization based on the features that genres share in unique ways. Further, meaningful dimensions underlying these categories were investigated. Then, interrelations with individual temporal orientation were assessed. Participants completed a test of fictional film preferences, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and the Individual Time Span Scales. Multidimensional scaling revealed three latent dimensions: social, conflict, and narrative setting. Principal component analysis revealed seven components of fictional film preferences: fantastic, communal, action, doomed, thrilling, unconventional, and historical. The current findings suggest that mood management processes are less influential in the development of more stable genre preferences than social phenomena. Regarding individual temporal orientation, findings were in line with life history theory for individual time span orientation. Time perspective was less related to film genre preferences. Here, gender appeared to be the main influence.

Impact statement:
Show me your Netflix and I’ll tell you who you are! Understanding why we love certain fictional film genres whilst avoiding others can provide important insights into our personalities, personal and social needs. This study investigated whether fictional film preferences are based on preferences for particular narrative properties and influenced by individual biases in the perception of time.

 

 

Further selected publications

Nowack, K. (2023). The Individual Time Span Scales (ITSS): Introducing a self-report questionnaire to measure individual differences in the perception of time as duration. Personality and Individual Differences, 206, 112116, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112116.

 
Nowack, K. (2023). When you can’t have what you want: Measuring Users‘ Ethical Concerns about Interacting with AI Assistants Using MEESTAR. Klimczak, P. & Petersen, C. (Eds.). AI – Limits and Prospects. Bielefeld: Transcript 2023.
 

Nowack, K. (2019). Unfinished sympathies: Influence of individual temporal orientation on music preferences. Psychology of Music, Volume 47 Issue 5 DOI: 10.1177/0305735618775200.

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