The Psychological and Behavioral Effects of Viewing Crime in the Media

Download or read book The Psychological and Behavioral Effects of Viewing Crime in the Media written by Kimberly Keller and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the media is extremely prevalent in the 21st century, it is important to understand the effects that the media has on public perception. With the increase of public interest in crime-related television shows, news stories, and novels, it is imperative that the public recognizes the psychological and behavioral effects of viewing crime in the media. Previous research examining fear and anxiety when viewing crime in the media has been inconclusive; however, no research study has analyzed changes in specific emotions before and after participants viewed crime stories between various media genres. The present study examined various positive and negative emotions associated with anxiety to gain insight into the psychological effects of viewing crime in the media. Participants were surveyed to learn about the behavioral responses to viewing crime in the media. The results of the present study suggest that many of the participants were psychologically desensitized to viewing crime in the media. Out of 20 emotions, “jittery” was the only feeling that established a significant difference between groups, with participants feeling the most jittery following the viewing of a fictional crime television show. However, the majority of participants indicated that they would take behavioral measures to protect themselves from potential crimes. Further research is needed to learn more about the incongruence between the psychological and behavioral effects of viewing crime in the media.