Getting Viewers to the Screen 19
genre of movie (i.e., action thriller) to manipulate the amount of violence and sexuality. It
is quite possible that the findings of this study, especially those relating to anticipated
suspense, might be specific to only action thrillers. Other movie genres should be
included in future studies so that genre-specific differences in viewer perceptions (e.g.,
humor) can be explored.
Second, the current study looked at only one preview along with the target
preview while analyzing comparative perceptions of movie trailers. It would be
interesting to examine the effects of competing, equally arousing trailers involving sex
and violence. Similarly, it is very likely that the presence of several trailers, one after the
other in a cluster where gripping trailers are presented along with boring trailers, would
have a variety of other responses that were not examined in the present study. Moreover,
in the current study, the documentary trailer preceded the experimental trailer, but it is
possible to imagine that the effects could have been somewhat different had it been
placed after the trailer of primary interest. This area of comparative trailer enjoyment has
implications for primacy and recency effects, and presents an interesting course for future
research studies.
In addition, more research needs to be conducted to examine whether or not
certain types of portrayals of sex and violence lead to greater anticipation than other types
of portrayals. Given that previous research on rock music videos obtained varying results
depending on the way in which sex and violence were operationalized (Hansen &
Hansen, 1990; Zillmann & Mundorf, 1987), it is very important that the present study be
replicated using several manipulated trailers using different definitions of sex and
violence that may be important to viewers’ responses.
Convention