Dr. Ethan Pancer [1], Sobey School of Business, St. Mary's University

Understanding the Appeal of Violent Media Depictions

ABSTRACT - People seem to enjoy consuming media with violent content. Whether it is in movies, television, video games, or books, violence is a pervasive and dominant theme across much of the media we consume. However, research examining consumers' immediate reactions to violent depictions suggests that it does little to enhance media enjoyment, and sometimes even decreases enjoyment (Sparks et al., 2005; Hansen & Hansen 1990). While much of the existing research focuses on the consequences of exposure (e.g., Anderson & Bushman 2001), the current research seeks to address this gap by investigating what about violent media appeals to consumers. This presentation will discuss the findings from several experiments and highlight managerial and public policy implications of the theoretical framework.

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