When stories do not turn out the way they expect people with low self esteem probably feel inadequate.

COLUMBUS , Ohio – Not everyone enjoys a murder mystery with a surprise ending, new research suggests.

People who have lower levels of self-esteem prefer crime and detective stories that confirm their suspicions in the end, while those with higher self-esteem enjoy a story that goes against expectations.

“Personality plays a role in whether a person wants to be confirmed or surprised when they read mysteries,” said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University.

“People with low self-esteem like to feel they knew all along who committed the crime, probably because it makes them feel smarter.”

But everyone seemed to enjoy mysteries where there were no strong hints of how the story would end, the study found.

How can Hollywood make use of this result? How to tell potential audiences whether they will like a movie? It seems hard to tell those who feel inadequate and inefficacious that, "hey, we've made just the movie for you. You'll feel great about your ability to predict plot twists at every step. This movie is no challenge." Such a message would make them feel worse.

Also, two very similar movies could be edited out of the same footage with the two versions being more or less surprising and more or less intellectually challenging based on the different levels of self esteem of the two expected audiences. But how to sell the two separate movies to those two audiences?