Anthropomorphism and Popularity of Natural History Documentaries: A Content Analysis

Abstract

Today, a popular message can go “viral” in minutes. Some can even gain so much attention that they effect large changes. One factor influencing popularity can be how relatable the message is. Human beings have long used anthropomorphism to relate to and understand non-human entities. With a focus on natural history documentaries, this study attempted to determine whether an association exists between anthropomorphism and popularity. A content analysis was done on a selection of nature and wildlife documentary videos posted on YouTube by Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS Nature. Ninety videos posted between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed. Each video’s YouTube-provided data on Views and Likes was recorded, and content was coded for any instances of anthropomorphism. The measure of popularity was each video’s total Likes per total Views. Association between anthropomorphism and Likes per Views was measured with linear regression. Each company’s videos were also compared with each other with analysis of variance. Contrary to expectation, relatively little anthropomorphism was present in this study set. No significant associations were found between Likes per Views and anthropomorphism. Correlations between Likes per Views and anthropomorphism were also very low. These results suggest that anthropomorphism did not affect popularity. While this study did not find significant associations, it did reveal a possibly negative relationship between anthropomorphism and Likes per Views. Repetition of the study with a larger sample could help determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists. The lack of anthropomorphism present in this study seemed to align with the scientific community’s recommendations against its usage. While some may find it helpful in making scientific content relatable, any beneficial effects of anthropomorphism may be limited to certain demographics.