The Classification of Psychological Experiences Watching Animated Works

Abstract

In this study, as a foundational research on animation therapy, we structured the psychological experiences of watching a work of animation and the impacts for the purpose of empirically analyzing and organizing the psychological experiences that the viewers had by watching animated works. As a result, the psychological experience of the animation consisted of [the enhancement of feelings], [distraction], [sympathetic reaction], [returning to/relating to reality], and [attraction felt towards constituent elements of the work]. The influences consisted of [self-transformation into positive feelings], [searching for and changing one’s own state of being], and [involvement in the works and activities beyond the works]. This study revealed that the psychological experience of animated works consisted of various positive experiences. In addition, suggestions were obtained about the experience process from the psychological experience of animation to its impacts.