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Will Loynd
Writing 2

Bridging Economic and Psychological Views on Film Analysis

Film has been a part of society since the early 19th century, profoundly shaping how we

view the world around us. Movie reviews quickly emerged to critique and praise films, leading

to today's industry of professional critics and online platforms that gauge public opinion even

before a movie's release. Although film and media studies has its own academic discipline, I will

focus on movie reviews themselves which have mainly been studied through the lenses of

industrial economics and media psychology fields. My essay aims towards the differences

between industrial economics and media psychology by analyzing two scholarly articles: The

Influence of Expert Reviews on Consumer Demand for Experience Goods: A Case Study of

Movie Critics by David A. Reinstein and Christopher M. Snyder, and Everyone’s a Critic: The

Power of Expert and Consumer Reviews to Shape Readers’ Post-Viewing Motion Picture

Evaluations by Ruud S. Jacobs. Through a comparative analysis of scholarly works from

industrial economics and media psychology, this essay illuminates the distinct approaches

employed by these disciplines in studying movie reviews. By examining the argumentation

strategies and stylistic conventions utilized, it unveils how the contrasting goals, underlying

assumptions, and conceptual frameworks inherent to each field shape their respective research

methodologies and rhetorical styles. This not only illuminates the unique scholarly communities

represented but also underscores how disciplinary orientations profoundly influence the manner

in which knowledge is constructed and understood.

The article by Reinstein and Snyder, The Influence of Expert Reviews on Consumer

Demand for Experience Goods: A Case Study of Movie Critics, illuminates the distinct scholarly

community of industrial economics while also emphasizing how disciplinary orientation

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influence the manner in which research and data can be presented. Reinstein and Snyder write,

“it is useful to study [expert reviews] to get a comprehensive picture of the aggregate flow of

information that might influence consumers’ demand for experience goods.”1 The authors are

focusing on the influence of expert reviews on consumer demand for movies within the

framework of industrial economics. The article's central argument revolves around how expert

reviews impact box office revenue. By employing a “difference-in-differences”2 approach, the

authors adopt a quantitative and empirical approach, relying on econometric methods to isolate

the effect of expert reviews on movie demand. This methodology is consistent with the

discipline's emphasis on data-driven analysis and the application of statistical techniques to

mimic experimental research designs. The article's structure, language, and use of graphs

exemplify the conventions of economic research, where precision, quantitative data, and visual

representations play a crucial role in communicating findings. This directly targets economists,

data analysts, and policy makers who understand the economic jargon and are able to read the

findings in the graphs presented to help inform their decisions based on how consumers respond

in their findings. Their analysis presents clear evidence such as highlighting that, “critics’

reviews are more important for ‘art’ movies than for ‘event’ movies.”3 The authors' portray this

claim through focusing on variables such as box office revenue, timing of reviews, and genre

classifications to reflect on the discipline's orientation toward market dynamics and consumer

behavior from a macroeconomic perspective. The conclusion mainly emphasizes the influence of

reviews across the movie industry and focuses specifically on how early positive reviews can

significantly increase box office profits for certain genres of film. The conclusion’s

acknowledgment of the potential statistically inaccurate data due to the use of traditional

1 Reinstein and Snyder, The Influence of Expert Reviews, 2.

2 Reinstein and Snyder, 3.
3 Reinstein and Snyder, 4.
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methodology only further aligns with the scientific approach of continuously refining research.

The implications of the research and what this might mean for the future is also discussed

showing practical applications and policy relevance of the study within the field of industrial

economics. Overall, the article exemplifies the distinct scholarly communities and disciplinary

orientations that shape the construction and understanding of knowledge. While economists

approach the subject through quantitative analysis, market dynamics, and consumer demand,

psychologists might explore the cognitive and emotional factors influencing individual decision-

making processes, reflecting the diverse perspectives and methodologies employed across

disciplines.

The psychology article, Everyone's a Critic: The Power of Expert and Consumer Reviews

to Shape Readers' Post-Viewing Motion Picture Evaluations, written by Jacobs, explores how

both expert and consumer reviews influence individual post-viewing evaluations of movies

within the realm of media psychology. This is emphasized in the introduction of the article when

Jacobs writes, “The current study compared the expert and consumer styles of criticism in their

effect on film viewers’ opinions.”4 This emphasis on how different styles of criticism impact

viewers opinions highlights the objective of the discourse community to focus on the psychology

of the human mind. The phrase “expert and consumer styles of criticism” reflects a specialized

terminology within the discourse community of media psychology. This makes reading the

article easier due to the jargon of the discourse community using broader terms which allow

more individuals to understand their findings. Psychology focuses on the emotions of human

behaviour which can be easier to understand over economics due to psychology being a topic

that most people encounter and deal with in their daily lives. The audience for this article

includes scholars in media studies, communication, and psychology while still being accessible

4 Ruud S. Jacobs, Everyone's a Critic: The Power of Expert and Consumer Reviews, 2.
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to read for the general public. This is shown in the article through addressing, “observ[ing] both

a viewer's own, implicit idea of an evaluation as well as an evaluation built from responses to

adjectives.”5 It falls under the discipline of media psychology and assumes readers have a basic

understanding of media consumption and evaluation while still explaining these concepts to help

the evidence found in their own research. The article contributes to discussions on media effects

and audience responses. Reinstein and Christopher follow a research paper format with sections

such as introduction, methods, results, and discussion. The language used is accessible,

interdisciplinary, and empirical for all readers to understand their research. Visual materials such

as charts and graphs are included to illustrate the impact of reviews on the brain to help get a

visual of what they are trying to claim. Similar to economics, the conclusion also states that some

of the findings might not be statistically accurate due to the use of traditional methodology of

finding the evidence, as evidence can be biased based on different factors affecting the

environment. The implications of the research and what this might mean for the future is also

discussed showing the major influence of expert reviews on transmitting information about

goods that people are uncertain about. Although both articles share a similar research approach

and an open ended conclusion, both disciplines employ distinct writing styles and language

choices to better help their audiences understand the finds made in their research.

The fundamental differences in disciplinary orientations, methodological approaches, and

rhetorical styles between industrial economics and media psychology not only shape the distinct

ways in which knowledge is constructed and disseminated within each field but also play a

crucial role in reinforcing and perpetuating the unique identities and boundaries of these

scholarly communities themselves. For example, industrial economics focuses on market

dynamics, quantitative analysis, and empirical data which aims to understand the market. This

5 Jacobs, 7.
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economic focus helps better understand the relationship between information quality and

consumer choices within the context of movie consumption. The focus of economics helps shape

the studies involved in the discourse community, the methods they use to conduct research, and

the interpretation of the data, reinforcing a culture within the community which is heavily

mathematical focused. On the other hand, media psychology explores the psychological impact

of media, specifically focusing on how expert and consumer reviews shape individual post-

viewing evaluations of movies. It delves into factors such as credibility, trait empathy, and

viewer involvement to understand how reviews influence enjoyment and involvement in movies.

Although psychology uses quantitative data such as graphs that were similarly used in the

economics article, more qualitative data is used in the psychology article. The language Jacobs

uses reflects a qualitative approach through using words such as, “perception” or “emotion,” 6 to

explore the motives and motivations a subject experiences. Another difference between the two

fields of study is the tone of both articles. This becomes very prevalent when reading Reinstein

and Snyder as they keep a very objective tone that doesn’t seem to have any bias. They keep this

formal tone to ensure they are being neutral with their findings because policymakers need

reliable information without a bias. These differences in subject matter and research focus

contribute to the distinct scholarly communities created by industrial economics and media

psychology. By examining these contrasting perspectives, we gain a comprehensive

understanding of economic systems and media effects. Industrial economics provides insights

into market dynamics, consumer behavior, and information quality within the context of movie

consumption. Media psychology, on the other hand, delves into the psychological processes

underlying audience responses to media and highlights the influence of expert and consumer

reviews on individual experiences.

6 Jacobs, 15.
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The comparative analysis of scholarly works from industrial economics and media

psychology in the study of movie reviews illuminates the profound impact that disciplinary

orientations within each scholarly community have on the construction and dissemination of

knowledge. While industrial economics focuses on market dynamics and consumer behavior in

relation to expert reviews, media psychology explores the psychological impact of media and the

influence of both expert and consumer reviews on individual experiences. By analyzing the

articles mentioned, we see how these disciplines contribute uniquely to our own human behavior.

They use different forms of analysis to highlight certain aspects of humanity when consuming

media. Both fields of study could learn from one another whether that is economics including a

more qualitative approach to research to focus on a more emotional and social context. Whereas

psychology could include more qualitative data that enhances their analysis and credibility.

While disciplinary divides may seem like barriers, they ultimately catalyze intellectual diversity

and societal progress. The coexistence of multiple perspectives, with unique strengths and

limitations, fosters a rich tapestry of knowledge illuminating complex realities. Just as industrial

economics and media psychology offer complementary insights into movie reviews by

quantifying economic impacts and unveiling psychological nuances respectively, the diversity of

academic approaches contributes to a comprehensive understanding of societal challenges.

Through understanding the distinct lenses of different fields of study, one is able to gain a

realistic understanding of how both fields view the world acting as a catalyst for intellectual

growth further pushing a more informed and knowledgeable society.

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Bibliography:

Reinstein, David A., and Christopher M. Snyder. “The influence of expert reviews on consumer

demand for experience goods: A case study of movie critics*.” Journal of Industrial Economics,

vol. 53, no. 1, Mar. 2005, pp. 27–51, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-1821.2005.00244.x.

Ruud S. Jacobs,. “Everyone’s a Critic: The Power of Expert and Consumer Reviews to Shape

Readers’ Post-Viewing Motion Picture Evaluations.” ScienceDirect, 2 July 2015, www-

sciencedirect-com.proxy.library.ucsb.edu/science/article/pii/S030 4422X1500056X?via

%3Dihub.