title: The effects of risk-glorifying media exposure on risk-positive cognitions, emotions, and behaviors: a meta-analytic review.
abstract: In recent years, there has been a surge in the quantity of media content that glorifies risk-taking behavior, such as risky driving, extreme sports, or binge drinking. The authors conducted a meta-analysis involving more than 80,000 participants and 105 independent effect sizes to examine whether exposure to such media depictions increased their recipients' risk-taking inclinations. A positive connection was found for overall, combined risk taking (g=.41); as well as its underlying dimensions: risk-taking behaviors (g=.41), risk-positive cognitions and attitudes (g=.35), and risk-positive emotions (g=.56). This effect was observed across varying research methods (experimental, correlational, longitudinal); types of media (video games, movies, advertising, TV, music); and differing risk-related outcome measures (e.g., smoking, drinking, risky driving, sexual behavior). Multiple moderator analyses revealed 2 theoretically new boundary conditions for sociocognitive models. First, the effect was stronger for active (i.e., video games) than for passive (e.g., film, music) exposure to risk-glorifying media content. Second, the effect was stronger when there was a high degree of contextual fit between the media content and type of risk-taking measure. The theoretical, practical, and societal implications of the present research synthesis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. peter.fischer@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Greitemeyer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kastenmüller
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vogrincic
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D017677:Age Distribution; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking; D012919:Social Behavior; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult