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Clique Size and Network Characteristics in Hyperlink Cinema

Constraints of Evolved Psychology

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Abstract

Hyperlink cinema is an emergent film genre that seeks to push the boundaries of the medium in order to mirror contemporary life in the globalized community. Films in the genre thus create an interacting network across space and time in such a way as to suggest that people’s lives can intersect on scales that would not have been possible without modern technologies of travel and communication. This allows us to test the hypothesis that new kinds of media might permit us to break through the natural cognitive constraints that limit the number and quality of social relationships we can manage in the conventional face-to-face world. We used network analysis to test this hypothesis with data from 12 hyperlink films, using 10 motion pictures from a more conventional film genre as a control. We found few differences between hyperlink cinema films and the control genre, and few differences between hyperlink cinema films and either the real world or classical drama (e.g., Shakespeare’s plays). Conversation group size seems to be especially resilient to alteration. It seems that, despite many efficiency advantages, modern media are unable to circumvent the constraints imposed by our evolved psychology.

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Acknowledgments

RD’s research is funded by a European Research Council Advanced Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Jaimie Arona Krems

  2. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK

    R. I. M. Dunbar

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  1. Jaimie Arona Krems
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  2. R. I. M. Dunbar
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Correspondence to Jaimie Arona Krems.

Appendix

Appendix

Hyperlink films included in the analysis

21 Grams

Inarritu, A. G., Arriaga, G., Salerna, R., Hope, T. (Producers), and Inarritu, A. G. (Director). (2003). USA: Universal Studios.

Ajami

Danon, M., Karanthanos, T., Kleinhendler, T. (Producers), and Copti, S., Shani, Y. (Directors). (2009). Israel: Kino International.

Amorres perros

Inarritu, A. G. (Producer), and Inarritu, A. G. (Director). (2000). Mexico: NuVision, Lionsgate.

Babel

Golin, S., Kilik, J., Inarritu, A. G. (Producers), and Inarritu, A. G. (Director). (2006). USA, Mexico, France: Paramount Vantage, Paramount Pictures.

Crash

Haggis, P., Harris, M. R., Moresco, R., Cheadle, D, Yari, B., Schulman, C. (Producers), and Haggis, P. (Director). (2004). USA, Germany: Lionsgate.

Happy Endings

Paseornek, M., Wiersma, H. (Producers), and Roos, D. (Director). (2005). USA: Lions Gate Entertainment.

Hereafter

Eastwood, C., Kennedy, K., Lorenz, R., Spielberg, S. (Producers), and Eastwood, C. (Director). (2010). USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Love Actually

Kenworthy, D, Beven, T, Fellner, E., Hayward, D, Chasin, L. (Producers), and Curtis, D. (Director). (2003). United Kingdom, France: Universal Pictures.

Magnolia

Anderson, P. T., Sellar, J., Tichenor, D., De Luca, M. (Producers), and Anderson, P. T. (Director). (2005). USA: New Line Cinema.

Mammoth

Jonsson, L. (Producer), and Copti, S., and Shani, Y. (Directors). (2009). Sweden, Denmark, Germany: Sonet Film.

Syriana

Nozik, M., Reitman, J., Fox, J., Kacandes, G., Soderberg, S., Clooney, G., Skoll, J., Reitman, I. (Producers), and Gaghan, S. (Director). (2005). USA: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Traffic

Bickford, L., Zwick, E., & Herskovitz, M. (Producers), and Soderbergh, S. (Director). (2000). USA: USA Films.

Female interest films included in the analysis

A League of Their Own

Abbott, E, Greenhut, R. (Producers), and Marshall, P, (Director). (1992). USA: Columbia Pictures.

First Wives Club

Rudin, S. (Producer), and Wilson, H. (Director). (1996). USA: Paramount Pictures.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Avnet, J, Lear, N. (Producers), and Avnet, J. (Director). (1991). USA: Universal Pictures.

Pride and Prejudice

Bevan, T., Fellner, E., Webster, P. (Producers) and Wright, J. (Director). (2005). United Kingdom: Universal Pictures.

Sex and the City

Dubiecki, D., Clifford, J, King, M. P ., Parker, S. J. Star, D., Melfi, J. (Producers), and King, M. P. (Director). (2008). USA: New Line Cinema.

Steel Magnolias

Stark, R, Stone, A, White, A. (Producers), and Ross, H. (Director). (1989). USA: TriStar Pictures.

Stick It!

Lyon, G. (Producers), and Bendinger, J. (Director). (2006). USA: 20th Century Fox.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Chase, D. M., De Novi, D., Kosove, A., Johnson, B. (Producers), and Kwapis, K. (Director). (1991). USA: Warner Bros.

The Women

English, D., Jagger, M., Johnson, B., Pearlman, V. (Producers), and English, D. (Director). (2008). USA: Picturehouse.

Waiting to Exhale

McMillan, T., Bass, R., Schindler, D., Swerdlow, E. (Producers), and Whitaker, F. (Director). (1995). USA: Touchstone Pictures.

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Krems, J.A., Dunbar, R.I.M. Clique Size and Network Characteristics in Hyperlink Cinema. Hum Nat 24, 414–429 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-013-9177-9

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