The Bundy “confession” and attitudes toward legal restriction of controversial materials

Abstract

This study examined whether knowledge of mass murderer Theodore Bundy's claims that sexually violent media content contributed to his crimes covaried with greater advocacy of legal restriction of controversial materials. Data analyses suggested that such knowledge was associated with more‐restrictive opinions toward visual, sexual media content and less‐restrictive opinions toward racist and sexist language. Possible theoretical interpretations of the findings are discussed.