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Emotions Elicited by Television Violence, 2010
Emotions Elicited by Television Violence, 2010
Emotions Elicited by Television Violence, 2010
ABSTRACT
The effects of TV violence have been widely studied from an experimental perspective, which, to a certain extent,
neglects the interaction between broadcaster and recipient. This study proposes a complementary approach, which
takes into account viewers’ interpretation and construction of TV messages. Social dimensions influencing emotional
experiences to TV violence will be identified and analyzed, as well as the way these emotions are construed in
discourse, how they are linked to attitudes, ethical dimensions and courses of action. Eight focus groups (segmented
by age, gender and educational level) were the basis of a discourse analysis that reconstructed the way audiences
experience TV violence. Results show the importance of a first immediate emotional mobilisation, with references
to complex emotions, and a second emotional articulation of experiences regarding repetition of scenes (type,
classification and assessment of broadcasts), legitimacy (or lack thereof) of violent acts, and identification (or lack
thereof) with main characters. In conclusion, the double impact (immediate and deferred) of emotions generates
complex narratives that lead to a single course of action characterised by responsibility and guilt, which can only be
taken into account by assuming the active role of viewer.
RESUMEN
Los efectos de la violencia en la televisión han sido ampliamente estudiados desde una perspectiva experimental,
que soslaya en cierto modo la interacción entre emisor y receptor. El presente trabajo plantea una perspectiva
complementaria que tiene en cuenta la interpretación y la elaboración que los espectadores hacen de las emisiones.
Se propone identificar y analizar las dimensiones sociales que mediatizan las experiencias emocionales ante la
violencia vista en televisión y cómo esas dimensiones emocionales, que se construyen en el discurso, están ligadas a
actitudes, dimensiones éticas y posiciones de acción. El discurso analizado procede de ocho grupos de discusión
–compuestos diferencialmente respecto al género, la edad y el nivel educativo–, que se analizaron a partir de las emo-
ciones que experimentan ante la violencia en la televisión. El análisis del discurso muestra, en primer lugar, la impor-
tancia de una primera movilización emocional, con referencias a emociones complejas y, en segundo lugar, una
articulación de la experiencia emocional respecto de la repetición de escenas (modalidad, clasificación y evaluación),
los actos (legitimación o no) y los personajes (identificación o desidentificación). En conclusión, el doble impacto de
las emociones (inmediato y diferido) genera narrativas complejas que abocan a un único curso de acción caracterizado
por la responsabilidad y la culpa, que solo puede tenerse en cuenta asumiendo el papel activo del espectador.
v Ph.D. Concepción Fernández Villanueva is Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology Department at theFaculty
of Political Sciences and Sociology, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) (cfvillanueva@cps.ucm.es).
v Ph.D. Juan Carlos Revilla Castro is Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology Department at the Faculty
of Political Sciences and Sociology, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) (jcrevilla@cps.ucm).
v Ph.D. Roberto Domínguez Bilbao is Senior Lecturer in Psychology Department at the Faculty of Health Sciences,
Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid (Spain) (roberto.dominguez.bilbao@urjc.es).
Comunicar, nº 36, v. XVIII, 2011, Scientific Journal of Media Litreracy; ISSN: 1134-3478; pages 97-104
www.revistacomunicar.com
98
The majority of studies on TV violence concern the service of agency, understood as the scope of
Comunicar, 36, XVIII, 2011
the so-called «effects model», which understands action that subjects have in their cultural contexts
effects as the production of ideas, emotional reactions (Wertsch, 1999), with legitimation of one’s own or
or consequences in behaviour. The most important others’ actions, and with power. Discourses on
effects are the emotions viewers feel when watching emotions are the telling of emotions. They are not
the scenes, and the effects most closely connected to scientific reports on physiological, internal or visible
emotions are fear, anger, desensitisation and catharsis. states (Buttny & Ellis, 2007). Instead, they contain
Fear, as both a reaction and a «cultivated» emotion, as cultural meanings and moral assessments.
an effect of viewing TV content is the emotion most Consequently, the objective of this study is to
usually highlighted (Cantor & Nathason, 1996; Sha- understand the social dimensions of emotions towards
nahan, 1999). Research into what causes fear when violence from a constructivist viewpoint. We aim to
faced by physical violence has mainly centred on understand the social dimensions influencing
scenes of real-life violence (Smith & Moyer-Guse, emotional experiences to TV violence, and the way
2006) in news programmes (Smith & Wilson, 2002; these emotions are construed in discourse, how they
Wilson, Martins & Marske, 2005), particularly in are linked to attitudes, ethical dimensions and courses
news on wars (Hoffner & Heafner, 1994) and on the of social action.
9/11 terrorist attacks (Saylor, Cowart, et al, 2003). All
these studies tend to show the short- or long-term 1. Material and methods
effects in children and adults of exposure to news The discourse analysed comes from eight focus
programmes. Other authors insist on the reactions, groups, with people of various ages, gender and
behaviour or aggressive feelings aroused that are more educational level, who were invited to talk about
typical of the emotion of anger (Anderson, 2004). violence on Spanish television. The composition of the
Desensitisation to violence as a result of viewing groups was decided on the basis of the most relevant
violent TV content has been described as an differences we expected to come across, although
emotional state of familiarisation with violent images invariants were looked for in this first analysis, so no
(Zillmann & Weaver, 1999; Cantor, 2002). Desensiti- differential analyses will be conducted among the
sation or saturation are not emotions, rather they are various social categories. Finding common discourses
more or less stable states in which the individual in such varied groups backs the assumption that they
experiences a non-reaction, or a less intense reaction, are widespread in society.
to images which he would have previously reacted The focus group technique is especially suitable
more strongly to. In this case, there is a continued when phenomena need to be examined or interpreted
psychological process of reducing an emotional state. in the terms people use to give them meaning (Denzin
These studies have not focused on the interaction & Lincoln, 2005), when a collective discourse on an
between television and viewers, viewers’ inter- object as «social» as television broadcasts needs to be
pretation of television, its broadcasts, and the aims and reconstructed (Callejo, 1995). The groups, consisting
social significance of the same scenes of violence. of subjects with similar characteristics, although not
However, the same identification or perception of natural groups, produce a discourse which represents
violence varies depending on viewers’ characteristics the collective the individuals belong to, and their
(Barrios, 2005), which leads us to believe that the differential characteristics emerge in the researcher/
construction processes of the meanings of violence are observer testimony. The researcher/ observer’s task is
important. to ensure the study subject is discussed without
We can identify an «interactionist» orientation, influencing symbolic group production. It is the group
which insists on the social construction of emotions itself, with the structure created in the context of the
(Harré & Langenhove, 1999), which emphasises the research, which controls, emphasises, penalises and
structural and communicative dimensions of emotional hierarchises the interventions and the discourse
discourses. This perspective emphasises language and contents (Fern, 2001; Stewart, Shamdasani & Rook,
discourse, viewed as a key element in the social 2007).
construction of emotion, delimitation of its content, In this text, we construct a spectrum of feelings
significance and social consequences. It considers and emotions as they are named, and we interpret
emotions as a means of communication. The language which emotional states they are related to, and what
of emotions is very varied and flexible. It is a set of they refer to in the social context in which the viewers
metaphors and «situated» expressions, of narratives at live. We present an analysis of interpretive repertoires
(Potter & Wetherell, 1987, 2001; Potter, 2003), (ire), unease, to other more complex, but immediate
impact lasts. With fictional violence, the emotion is quently, viewers disassociate themselves from it and
has attitudinal and behavioural consequences. The crudeness really dehumanises people a lot, because
Comunicar, 36, XVIII, 2011
«educational» discourse, the positive function of they’re showing them all day… again and again»
showing violence to make people aware of conflicts (Adult males, university students).
and of the «horrors» of reality, is oft repeated on Ethical attitudes produced by watching serious
television. «If she was older, it wouldn't affect you as real-life scenes of violence are responsibility and guilt.
much. But it is still just as hard. An older prostitute is Allusions to these attitudes are expressed in words
still the same, but it doesn’t affect you as much. And such as responsibility, pricking one’s conscience, doing
they are images you have to see to become aware and your bit, need to do something, etc. Responsibility is a
decide to take action. These are images that try to get short-term mobilising attitude. It arises when people
people involved and out onto the streets and doing perceive that something can be done. Guilt, on the
something» (Young women, university students). other hand, is linked to helplessness and power-
It can mobilise people by making them aware of lessness. A more detailed analysis of the social
what is happening in society outside their immediate implications of the two attitudes needs to be
context. The images provide awareness and conducted.
information with a veracity that forces viewers to feel «You see it and say: I cannot do anything. It makes
an agent in this situation. «I don’t think TV violence is you live with a feeling of guilt. People are dying in the
a bad thing. It is necessary to make society aware of world because they kill each other for political reasons,
what’s going on. Because you go out and live in a and I cannot do anything about it» (Young women,
bubble, but when you see it directly… that’s what I university students).
think, anyway (…). It’s to inform you: they are real-life An emotional impact forces viewers to be active,
events which happen, and people need to know about to take on the role as a witness to the violence, or to
them, to report them to the police or whatever» reject this demand.
(Young males, university students).
Arguments on the role of images in the formation 3. Discussion
of ethical attitudes are not the same across the board. Research on the emotions aroused by the
Intuitively reproducing the various effects caused by perception of audiovisual contents has examined the
the repetition of watching real-life violence, the physiological correlates in more depth (Morris, Klahr
participants’ discourses vary, ranging from the & al., 2009) or the identification of short- and
effectiveness of the mobilising impact to paralysation medium-term effects (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis,
due to saturation. On the one hand, as we have seen, 2005). However, the results obtained in the research
the effectiveness and need to show violence to make presented reaffirm a line that complements these
people aware, denounce, be responsible or propose results: viewers are not passive, nor are they isolated
social changes was defended. The simple when producing emotions, especially as a result of the
dissemination of information, the fact that the infor- perception of these contents (Pinto da Mota, 2005).
mation circulates, is explained, demonstrated, and is The physiological correlates of emotions cannot be
present in interaction is considered positive. Know- denied, but the language with which they are
ledge and testimony seem to be a necessary step for presented and told in social life is not just a way of
taking responsibility for something, to start something naming them. The terms and narratives of emotions
that transforms the conditions in which violence reveal a structure, a story, a mode of constructing them
emerges. On the other hand, scepticism is evident on and a specific cultural context (Hong, 2004, on the
the effectiveness of the images to transform anything, emotions of shame and guilt in Taiwan). In fact,
and they are viewed as an unnecessary emotional emotions have been considered a communication
appeal to viewers which is too harsh and leads to interface, so they partly depend on the recipient of
saturation, desensitisation and «non-productive» guilt, them (Fernández-Dols, Carrera & Casado, 2001), and
i.e., only punitive without any transfer into social they may lead to conflicting interpretations when facial
action. expressions are intentionally modified (Russell,
«This crudeness, which, starting with the parents, Bachorowski, & Fernández-Dols, 2003). A more
affects me. That crudeness of seeing so many images, complex aspect of communication is verbalising the
so much reality… Or even what there was before, emotions experienced, since it means constructing
when someone saw another fight and intervened, something that was not previously delimited either
helped people. Now people ignore it, they have got physiologically or verbally, and which depends on
used to it, it is so every day that… For me, that those involved in the interaction, the fellow participants
or recipients of the telling. For example, it has been appropriate thing for a viewer to do in connection
but its role needs to be studied in more depth, LACASA, P.; REINA, A. & ALBURQUERQUE, M. (2000). Rethinking
Comunicar, 36, XVIII, 2011
specifically, the relation between the voluntary or Emotions: Discourse, Self and Television in the Classroom. Paper
presented at III Conference for Sociocultural Research. Brazil.
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