Attracted but Unsatisfied: The Effects of Sensational Content on Television Consumption Choices

Abstract

This article investigates experimentally the effects of sensational content on viewing choices and satisfaction in television consumption. The authors found that the presence of verbal violence in one program causes subjects to watch more of that program. However, subjects do not experience higher satisfaction with the program. In addition, they report lower satisfaction with the overall viewing experience. These findings are robust to the use of different program types for the experimental manipulation. Overall, the results pose a challenge to the use of audience figures as a measure of enjoyment or satisfaction.

Notes

¹Social desirability bias is the tendency of individuals to present themselves in the most favorable manner relative to prevailing social norms and, more specifically, to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others (King and Bruner, 2000; Nederhof, 1985).

² Violence is commonly defined as “any overt depiction of a credible threat of physical force or the actual use of such force intended to physically harm an animate being or group of beings” (Seawell, 1998). More broadly, violence can be defined as “any action that serves to diminish in some physical, social, or emotional manner […], including verbal forms of aggression, not just physical forms” (Potter, 1999).

³To avoid cells with zero frequencies, university programs were grouped into four classes: Economics, Statistics, Information Technology, Others.