Outcome value and outcome delay as determinant factors of suspense in film viewing: an experiment

In order to obtain a picture of how story events and story presentation factors of suspense work together in film, in this study a story events factor (Outcome Value) was directly compared with a story presentation factor (Outcome Delay) as to their influences on experienced suspense in four different film genres. 124 subjects took part in a 2 (Outcome Value) X 2 (Outcome Delay) between-subjects X 4 (film genre) within-subjects experimental design. The results reveal that, as expected, film genre is a major determinant factor of experienced suspense: Outcome Value significantly influenced experienced suspense in the two action oriented films (a thriller and a horror), whereas Outcome Delay significantly influenced experienced suspense in the two character oriented films (a classic romance and an art house romance). Counter to expectations there was no film in which both factors had a significant effect on suspense.