Exposure to media with prosocial content reduces the propensity for reckless and risky driving

Abstract

Past research has predominantly focused on negative effects of media exposure. However, as pointed out by the General Learning Model (GLM), exposure to media may have positive consequences as well. Two studies tested the effects of exposure to media with prosocial (relative to neutral) content on participant’s propensity for reckless and risky driving. Study 1 revealed that those participants who had played a prosocial video game were less prone to self-reported reckless and risky driving than those who had played a neutral video game. This effect was replicated in Study 2, employing a different type of media exposure (i.e. listening to music). Taken together, the present findings lend credence to GLM’s assumption that the effects of media exposure depend to a great extent on the content of the media.

Keywords:

• risky driving
• reckless driving
• media effects
• video games
• music