'A Typology of Divergence in Narrative Interpretation'
(Livingstone 1990: 167-74)
- Studied 27 women from a range of backgrounds who were regular
viewers of Coronation Street.
- Viewers were asked to write about any four narratives which
they could recall concerning the central character, Rita Fairclough.
- There was generally more consensus than divergence. Widespread
agreement existed about the general characteristics of the characters
recalled ('consensual social facts') and about the gist of the
narrative. There was a majority endorsement of certain interpretations
over others. However, there were several kinds of divergence in
interpreting specific events.
Types of Differences
- Inaccuracy in comprehension and/or recall. Viewers
occasionally failed to comprehend or recall events accurately,
although agreeing on the gist of the narrative.
- Character evaluation. Viewers diverged in evaluating
a character generally either as positive or negative. Some evaluated
specific personality traits positively; others evaluated the same
trait negatively.
- Perspective-taking. Viewers tended to see events from
the perspectives of different characters.
- Inferences. Viewers differed in the inferences which
they made to make sense of events (going 'beyond the information
given'). They differed in the motives, intentions, feelings or
thoughts which they attributed to characters in particular events,
drawing on their knowledge of the characters and of people in
general.
- Explanatory social frameworks. Viewers often drew on
'culturally consensual knowledge' to interpret events (e.g. maternal
feelings, the nature of relationships, and ways of helping or
influencing others). They differed in their explanatory use of
'general social rhetoric' (such as 'you have to be cruel to be
kind').
- Critical distance/involvement. Viewers differed in
their degree of critical distance from the text and sense of involvement
in the plot (from detached critical assessment to deep emotional
involvement).
- Focus of account. Viewers emphasized different aspects
of the same narrative (either actions, personality traits or context).
- Complexity of account. Viewers differed in the complexity/depth
of their accounts.
Adapted from Sonia M Livingstone (1990): Making Sense of Television:
The Psychology of Audience Interpretation. Oxford: Pergamon
(Chapter 7, 'Divergent Interpretations of Television Drama', pp.
165-188)
