Image analysis

I have been looking for images the explore the ideas of the just world hypothesis. I found examples of superheroes used to promote positive behaviour like helping others. Super heroes tend to follow the traditional narratives associated with the just world hypothesis. The heroes stand for a set of positive moral values, they often go through struggles but ultimately the heroes will be successful and raised up as examples to the rest of society and the villains will face the consequences for their actions.

This advert was published in 2013 as an advert to encourage people to give blood. The advert uses Spider-Man as example of someone to look up to and want to be like. The advert uses the slogan "you can be someone's superhero" to encourage people to give blood. The advert uses the positive view of these fictional characters to make people want to be like them, to be admired and to help people in need. The choice to use a superhero for this advertising campaign shows the influence the fictional characters can have on the way we act. The characters are beyond reproach, they are depicted as having a perfect moral compass so cannot be cross examined in the same way as a real person. The creators of this advert could have used a celebrity in this advert and it would have worked in a similar way. A sports star or pop star would have the similar level of popularity but with using a real person comes complications, real people have opinions, political affiliations and flaws.

This poster was part of the superman comic book series in the 1940's and 50's a time when racism was a big problem in America. The poster used two methods to try and combat this racism. Firstly the used the term un-American, being American is often linked with a set of values and a feeling of belonging to something bigger than yourself. Secondly using superman to teach children about this important issue and effect public opinion. Fictional characters such as superman are well known and popular enough to reach a large number of people. Superman was an outsider that overcame adversity to become an American icon and pillar of justice and morality. Just like the previous poster the use of a fictional hero removes the possibility of cross examining the characters background or questioning their moral stance. Just world belief tells us that good things happen to good people, if we follow the instruction of these super heroes and treat other people well we are encouraged to believe we will benefit in the process. These poster move the just world narratives from fiction into the real world changing the context of the characters and how directly just world beliefs are presented to us.

The poster shows a group of children or teenagers meeting there hero. They are looking at him adoringly and listening to what he says. Superman is presented as a figure of authority that the children look up to. He represents fictional narratives that provide moral guidance for young people without lecturing. This makes the super hero characters revered and popular making them an ideal tool to engage with young people.