'A Typology of Divergence in Narrative Interpretation'

• Studied 27 women from a range of backgrounds who were regular viewers of Coronation Street.
• Viewers were asked to write about any four narratives which they could recall concerning the central character, Rita Fairclough.
• There was generally more consensus than divergence. Widespread agreement existed about the general characteristics of the characters recalled ('consensual social facts') and about the gist of the narrative. There was a majority endorsement of certain interpretations over others. However, there were several kinds of divergence in interpreting specific events.

Types of Differences

• Inaccuracy in comprehension and/or recall. Viewers occasionally failed to comprehend or recall events accurately, although agreeing on the gist of the narrative.

• Character evaluation. Viewers diverged in evaluating a character generally either as positive or negative. Some evaluated specific personality traits positively; others evaluated the same trait negatively.

• Perspective-taking. Viewers tended to see events from the perspectives of different characters.

• Inferences. Viewers differed in the inferences which they made to make sense of events (going 'beyond the information given'). They differed in the motives, intentions, feelings or thoughts which they attributed to characters in particular events, drawing on their knowledge of the characters and of people in general.

• Explanatory social frameworks. Viewers often drew on 'culturally consensual knowledge' to interpret events (e.g. maternal feelings, the nature of relationships, and ways of helping or influencing others). They differed in their explanatory use of 'general social rhetoric' (such as 'you have to be cruel to be kind').

• Critical distance/involvement. Viewers differed in their degree of critical distance from the text and sense of involvement in the plot (from detached critical assessment to deep emotional involvement).

• Focus of account. Viewers emphasized different aspects of the same narrative (either actions, personality traits or context).

• Complexity of account. Viewers differed in the complexity/depth of their accounts.

Adapted from Sonia M Livingstone (1990): Making Sense of Television: The Psychology of Audience Interpretation. Oxford: Pergamon (Chapter 7, 'Divergent Interpretations of Television Drama', pp. 165-188)

Daniel Chandler
January 1997