THE ROLE OF DOMINANCE IN THE APPEAL OF VIOLENT MEDIA DEPICTIONS

摘要

Research related to violent media has overwhelmingly focused on the consequences of exposure, typically with a view to informing its regulation. Such media is extremely popular, yet little research has examined why it should be appealing to consumers. The current work examines violent consumption in the context of advertisements for violent video games. We argue that it is not the violence endemic to many of these games, and indeed other media, that is rewarding, but rather the domination that often accompanies such depictions. We test this basic proposition by manipulating the dominative content of a violent depiction. We also examine conditions that moderate the scope of this effect.