Motives for viewing animated sitcoms and their associations with humor styles, positivity, and self-criticism in a sample of Hungarian viewers

In recent years, animated situation comedies (generally known as animated sitcoms) have gained widespread popularity among young adults. Animated sitcoms often dissect sensitive social and political concerns using negative humor, exaggeration, and stereotyping. The present study aimed to explore the motives for viewing animated sitcoms using qualitative and quantitative research methods and investigate their associations with humor styles, positivity, and self-criticism in a sample of Hungarian viewers. A total of 816 Hungarian adults (54.5% female; M(age) = 23.9 years, SD = 5.6) completed an online questionnaire focusing on animated sitcom viewing habits and other relevant psychological constructs. As a result, three major motive dimensions were identified: (1) social criticism, (2) fun and entertainment, and (3) relaxation. These motives were assessed by the Motives for Animated Sitcom Viewing Questionnaire (MASVQ), which demonstrated strong psychometric properties. Using a MIMIC model, multiple associations were described across motives and other psychological constructs, indicating that individuals with different levels of humor, positivity, and self-criticism are motivated to view animated sitcoms for different reasons in this sample of Hungarian viewers.