Mental Health Stereotypes of Military Personnel in Comic Arts Characters
Christopher R. Warren | Department of Psychology | California State Long Beach
- Typical depictions cross-media should be investigated for similar messages and stereotypes displayed
- Future investigations should look to see how individuals respond to representations of characters of various military experience in a laboratory environment
- Further study would be insightful within the context of animated and live action media to detect parallels between content of the graphic arts as an index of psychological distance
- In-depth cross-examination within military subjects may reveal themes or factors dominant in contribution of mental health typical that may be represented in characters or ignored in the comic arts
- This research should be extended by investigating childhood trauma and superheroes for cues to identification with characters
- Variables such as resiliency in the face of traumatic events can help us understand how we can use their story to help children and adults with history/presence of trauma, or investigate the presence of these themes in media
- Group often depicted in the comic arts and media are military who often suffer from the stereotype of mental illness
- Aim of this study was to analyze the portrayal of mental illnesses present within characters who have a military background in comparison to non-military characters
- Each character coded across dimensions including mental health status, social inclusion, and other character demographics (e.g., gender, ethnicity, immigrant status).
- The analysis of over 400 characters from several different comic universes allowed for a wide sample base.
- First hypothesis focused on veterans depicted as being less socially involved compared to civilians
- Analyses of variance tested each of our hypotheses across characters for each of the major variables
- Results revealed non-military individuals displayed higher mental health scores (p = 0.001) compared to military characters, as well as lower social inclusion (p=.012)
- ONET job complexity scores lower in military characters compared to non-military, though only marginally significant (p = .087)
- Other popular media should be investigated further to understand negative stereotypes perpetuated and associated with military personnel
- An existing database of comic book characters containing 370 characters was expanded to almost 500 characters for the purpose of this research
- Collection process of data was online and book material analysis being broken down into several different categories.
- Categories range from demographic information, job complexity, mental health, physical characteristics, social inclusion, and military status.
- Primary focuses on compiling data and analyzing mental health, social inclusion, and ONET job complexity scores between military and non-military characters
- This has resulted in hours of combing through multiple source materials and qualitative data collection across a wide sample base of comic arts
- ANOVA test was completed for data, results showed significant difference in mental health status between military characters and non-military
- Also a difference between social inclusion and O*NET scores, but not as significant
- Prediction 1: Characters with military experience will be coded as having lower mental health and social exclusion in their personal canon.
- Prediction 2: Characters with military experience will be coded as having lower work complexity scores as rated by occupational titles (O*NET) in their personal canon.
- Characteristics of comic characters (N=452) pertinent to this study acquired through online databases, configured onto Excel sheet
- Each character coded across mental health status, social inclusion, other character demographics (e.g., gender, ethnicity, immigrant status); coder agreement of κ = .862
- Analyses of variance for testing of each hypothesis utilizing means across characters for each of the major variables
- Mental health scale represented low=1, intermediate=2, or high=3 level of optimum; military standing differentiated by nonmilitary=0, military=1
- Other variables: character role, socioeconomic status, occupation, morality, stage of trauma, quality of interpersonal relations
- Mental Health: 3
- Military Status: 1
- Mental health: 2
- Military Status: 0
- Mental Health: 1
- Military Status: 0
- Mental Health: 1
- Military Status: 1
- ANOVAs were performed on the of 452 characters to test predictions
- First prediction was military characters will be coded as having lower mental health and social exclusion in their personal canon; analyses revealed military individuals scored lower on mental health (M=2.21; SD=.73) compared to non-military (M=1.88; SD=.84), F(1,451)=13.56; p=.001
- Prediction was also supported for social inclusion, with military veterans (M=2.11; SD=.81) compared to non-military (M=2.47; SD=.80), F(1,239)=6.43; p=.012
- Military characters had lower work complexity scores via occupational titles (M=3.12; SD=1.01) compared to non-military (M=3.43; SD=1.18), F(1, 327)=2.95, p=.087, confirming our prediction, although only marginally significant results
- Military characters coded in the present study exhibited higher occurrence of maladaptive behaviors, thoughts, and relations with others, consistent with original hypotheses of lowered psychological health and instance of lower societal participation.
- Results were similar for the occupational complexity of characters identified as military or ex-military, which was significantly lower than non-military characters coded
- The depiction of comic characters in the graphic arts, supported stereotypes associated with deficiency in both mental health, social inclusion, and occupational competencies relative to nonmilitary individuals.
- Although military experience seems related to types of jobs these individuals typically hold in the comic arts, this difference is only marginally significant and should therefore be interpreted with some caution
- Absence of military status directly correlated with healthier psychological/social functioning and more abilities in the realm of work
- The results overall confirm the predictions that military experience in the comic arts is associated with negative stereotypes associated with these individuals, even superheroes