Brazilian scientists from the Federal University of Paraiba found that movies about the adventures of superheroes can encourage prosocial behavior, that is, actions aimed at benefiting others. The study was published in the scientific journal broadcasting Journal of Psychology (TJP).
Most superhero movies are action movies that contain scenes of violence. Although images of violence in the media are often associated with increased aggression, experts decided to find out whether such stories could positively affect viewers.
The study involved two experiments, each involving 200 people. They were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group.
The experimental group watched a clip from the 2016 movie Batman v Superman, in which Batman fights several armed villains to save a hostage. This scene was chosen due to its combination of violent action and a clear pro-social purpose (saving a life).
The control group was shown a neutral video in which colored shapes formed different patterns. This video was supposed to provide a basis for comparison.
Following imaging, participants were asked to complete a prosocial behavior task. They were told that they would be helping another study by distributing chocolate chips to future participants. The number of chocolate chips each participant allocated was used as a measure of their willingness to act for the benefit of others.
The researchers also measured the volunteers’ empathy levels. To do this, they used a scale that assesses three different types of empathy: emotional empathy (sharing another person’s feelings), cognitive empathy (understanding another person’s perspective), and relational empathy (identifying with a character in the video).
In the second experiment, the researchers added an additional measure: moral justification. Participants were asked to rate whether Batman’s violent actions were justified using statements such as “The protagonist’s actions were necessary” or “It was impossible to handle this situation any other way.”
In the first study, participants who watched a superhero scene reported higher levels of empathy than control group participants. That is, viewers showed increased associative empathy; They identified more with Batman and his mission to save humanity. This identification with the hero was an important factor that indirectly increased prosocial behavior.
Although participants in the experimental group did not give significantly more chocolate compared to the control group, the effect of the movie on prosocial behavior was seen through increased empathy. This suggests that feeling connected to a character and understanding his or her motives can encourage viewers to be more generous and helpful in their actual actions.
Previous scientists mistakenly was created Similar to Spider-Man’s fluid web.
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Source: Gazeta
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