Punishing Media Criminals and Moral Judgment: The Impact on Enjoyment

• DOI: 10.1207/s1532785xmep0702_2
• Publication Date: 2005-04-01T19:50:11Z
• Authors: Arthur A. Raney
• Keywords: Punishment (psychology)

Abstract In this study, I investigated the relation between moral judgment and enjoyment of crime dramas by varying relative severity punishment levied for a crime. One hundred fifty-one participants rated their video clip depicting with perpetrator being punished either excessively or not at all. keeping previous literature, predicted that different punishments would elicit levels judgment, which then impact enjoyment. The results indicate drama was consistently certain social justice attitudes resulting judgments about content. findings lend support to sanction theory integrated model shed further insight into how viewer cognitions dispositional affiliations formed toward characters in media entertainment.