Predicting Exposure to and Liking of Media Violence: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

The uses and gratifications tradition posits individual needs for stimulation, for information, vary systematically. These needs may, in turn, affect what media sources, and other stimuli, various individuals access. This study used a survey design (N = 610) to examine the relationship between several key personality factors, media exposure and liking, and risk-taking behavior. Overall, it was found that sensation seeking, verbal aggressiveness, argumentativeness, and instrumental androgyny were positively associated with exposure to violent films and horror movies and to a lesser extent real crime and violent television. However, these personality factors did not consistently predict liking of these genres suggesting that individuals may be seeking excitement and aggression (gratifications sought) in these genres but are not necessarily satisfied (gratifications obtained) by these mediated forms. In addition, even after controlling for these personality factors, exposure to these various forms of violent media was directly related to self-reported violent behavior and risky behavior.