When Underdogs Go Viral: Emotional and Cognitive Pathways to Social Media Engagement

초록

Underdog success stories, celebrated across cultures and platforms, represent a compelling form of digital narratives that drive social media engagement. Drawing on the model of inspiring media, this study investigates how such stories evoke emotional and cognitive responses that, in turn, foster social media engagement through the experience of being moved. In an online experiment, 320 participants were randomly assigned to watch one of 20 success story videos featuring either an underdog or a non-underdog protagonist. Structural equation modeling showed that underdog stories elicited stronger joy, admiration, unexpectedness, and enlightenment than non-underdog stories. Furthermore, joy, admiration, and enlightenment—but not unexpectedness—indirectly increased liking and sharing intentions via being moved. These findings highlight the mechanisms through which underdog narratives translate into social media engagement, extending research on eudaimonic media effects into digital contexts. They also offer practical implications for content creators and platform designers seeking to promote user interaction and prosocial engagement through inspiring narratives.

키워드