Reception of television series characters by school audiences: Methodological and organisational bases of the study

The relevance of the topic stems from the growing role of streaming platforms and personalised media consumption, which amplifies the influence of TV content on adolescents’ views of social norms, acceptable behaviour, and coping strategies. The study aimed to investigate a model and tools for analysing students’ identification with destructive television characters and assessing the impact on their perception of aggression, suicidal tendencies and social adaptability. A set of methods (identification test in the form of a semi-standardised questionnaire, NOBAGS scale, general viability scale, social adaptability scale, family environment conflict scale) and a methodology for conducting an experiment with the participation of two groups of high school students in grades 9-11 are proposed. The methodological basis of the study combines quantitative methods (correlation, regression, factor analysis) and qualitative methods (narrative analysis). The data obtained during the pilot study indicate that: the suitability of the procedure and set of methods for further research; a higher level of identification with the characters among high school students who watched the entire series, rather than just a single episode; a significantly higher level of the overall indicator of normative attitudes towards aggression and a slightly lower overall level of vitality in both experimental groups immediately after watching the episode of the series selected as stimulus material; a high level of the overall indicator of normative attitudes towards aggression and a high overall level of vitality in students who identify with negative characters, and a low level on both scales in those who identify with positive characters. The practical value lies in the potential of the proposed approaches, methods, and model to support further research on the impact of destructive media content on youth