Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
4-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Communication
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Dr. Lauren Lemley
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Dr. Joe Cardot
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Dr. Paul Lakey
Abstract
Research concerning the consequences of edutainment has revealed that television shows have the capability to influence audience members. As the lines between education and entertainment are becoming increasingly blurred, viewers may not be aware of how watching such shows impacts them. Lie to Me is a popular edutainment television series that educates viewers about the power of micro expressions. Ekman has dedicated a large part of his life to the development of research related to micro expressions. The show’s main character, Cal Lightman, portrayed Paul Ekman’s special talents and knowledge through his ability to detect micro expressions. The first three episodes of the first season of Lie to Me did the best job of portraying the show’s overall appeal and role as an edutainment series. In this thesis, I analyze each of these episodes using the narrative paradigm, narrative probability, narrative fidelity, and fantasy themes to answer three important research questions about the influence of edutainment.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Campbell, Caroline, "Your Face Betrays You: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Lie To Me" (2016). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 22.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/22
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, Other Education Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons