During the 2022 Spring and Summer semesters, UF Department of Psychology professor, Dr. Marina Klimenko, conducted a cross-cultural investigation alongside an undergraduate psychology student, Amy Pezoldt, and four students from the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poland. The goal of the investigation was to examine potential cultural similarities and differences in the expression of romantic ideals in romantic teen drama films.
As a result of the ongoing collaboration between AMU Philosophy Department faculty members, Dr. Karolina M. Cern and Ewa Nowak, and Dr. Klimenko, this investigation was expanded into a cross-cultural comparison based on Amy Pezoldt's senior thesis. In her original project, Pezoldt analyzed the highest-grossing American teen romantic movies from 1987 to 2019 for the frequency of romantic and anti-romantic ideals expressed by the main characters and the depiction of hookups or long-term relationships. In addition to American romantic teen drama, the current study has included popular romantic teen drama films made in Turkey, Poland, and Italy. With the expansion, four students from AMU, Esma Nur Demir (Turkey), Sara Sgarlata (Italy), Piotr Wanielista (Poland), and Ryan Clisset (US), were recruited to be a part of the research team.
Finished codes for the American Teen Romantic Drama Movies by Amy Pezoldt
Currently, the findings suggest some interesting cultural differences in both the total number of romantic expressions and the gender differences in the expressions of romantic ideals by male and female characters. Two important factors that can explain the differences are collectivistic or individualistic cultural orientation and the degree of accepted masculinity where the films are made.
To learn more about this investigation, email Dr. Marina Klimenko.