Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Communication

Human activity and unsustainable use of natural resources create increasingly severe environmental problems. Science and environmental documentaries are often used to explain these problems to the general public and to advocate for policies to address environmental issues. Despite the impact many of these films have had, empirical social science research on the genre is scant, in part due to the difficulty inherent in simply defining what is or is not a documentary. Integrating theoretical perspectives on environmental behavior, narrative persuasion, affect, and documentaries, the present research tests how and why documentaries may be an effective means by which to inform the public and to persuade citizens in favor of particular policies, typically aimed at increasing regulation of environmental hazards. The studies presented here begin building our understanding of documentary audiences and effects by addressing three key questions: Who is watching environmental documentaries? How do aspects of documentaries, specifically narrative structure and message goal influence documentary effectiveness? What visual and verbal message design strategies make documentaries more or less effective? By addressing these questions, the present study enhances knowledge related to documentary audiences, documentary structures, and documentary message design features.

Committee: Erik Nisbet (Advisor); Emily Moyer-Gusé (Committee Member); Matthew Nisbet (Committee Member); Michael Slater (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Environmental Education; Environmental Studies; Film Studies; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Public Health Education; Science Education; Wildlife Conservation