TY - JOUR
T1 - Graphic Violence as Moral Motivator
T2 - The Effects of Graphically Violent Content in News
AU - Grizzard, Matthew
AU - Huang, Jialing
AU - Weiss, Julia K.
AU - Novotny, Eric Robert
AU - Fitzgerald, Kaitlin S.
AU - Ahn, Changhyun
AU - Ngoh, Zed
AU - Plante, Alexandra
AU - Chu, Haoran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © Mass Communication & Society Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
PY - 2017/11/2
Y1 - 2017/11/2
N2 - Common wisdom holds that graphic media violence leads to antisocial outcomes. This common wisdom is reflected in the Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. However, theory and research regarding moral emotions’ ability to increase moral sensitivity suggests that this type of negative content may be capable of yielding prosocial responses. This article describes this logic and tests its predictions in two experimental studies utilizing news footage of a mass execution conducted by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Results corroborate claims that graphic media violence can serve as a moral motivator. Higher levels of graphic violence led to stronger anger and disgust responses, which in turn predicted higher levels of (a) moral sensitivity, (b) desires for anti-ISIS interventions (including military and humanitarian efforts), and (c) eudaimonic motivations (i.e., seeking meaning in life). Important to note, no increases in negative attitudes toward Arab Muslims were observed. Theoretical implications are discussed.
AB - Common wisdom holds that graphic media violence leads to antisocial outcomes. This common wisdom is reflected in the Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. However, theory and research regarding moral emotions’ ability to increase moral sensitivity suggests that this type of negative content may be capable of yielding prosocial responses. This article describes this logic and tests its predictions in two experimental studies utilizing news footage of a mass execution conducted by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Results corroborate claims that graphic media violence can serve as a moral motivator. Higher levels of graphic violence led to stronger anger and disgust responses, which in turn predicted higher levels of (a) moral sensitivity, (b) desires for anti-ISIS interventions (including military and humanitarian efforts), and (c) eudaimonic motivations (i.e., seeking meaning in life). Important to note, no increases in negative attitudes toward Arab Muslims were observed. Theoretical implications are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85025148310&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15205436.2017.1339804
DO - 10.1080/15205436.2017.1339804
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85025148310
SN - 1520-5436
VL - 20
SP - 763
EP - 783
JO - Mass Communication and Society
JF - Mass Communication and Society
IS - 6
ER -