The Psychodynamics of Media Violence: Why do We Always Have so Little?!

Abstract

Previous research on the correlation of media, violence, and end users of media content in the focus of analysis had the representation and definition of “violent scenes and content” in various media formats as problematic, media content on the physical, emotional, or mental state of media users. The research also focused on correlations between individual personality traits and the motivation to search, demand, and consume scenes of violence in different media formats. The text analyzes the motivation, level of engagement, and needs of end media users in searching for and using violent media products and understanding their expected forms of gratification from such activities, starting from the point of view that people find media-mediated violence interesting, attractive and exciting and that they are inclined to different forms of motivation searching, using and sharing various problematic contents. With a qualitative approach through research conducted on two focus groups (N=24), group discussion, interaction, and observation method, the research tried to differentiate the ways and habits of using media and media content and to understand and explain whether and why media users collect, research, process and disseminate media content with elements of violence. The analysis shows that the respondents focus their interest on media descriptions of realistic violent content. Still, they are not attracted to explicit violence in media disseminated formats, but to what it is associated with. Respondents resolve cognitive dissonance in the context of their attitudes following their actions to justify their chosen behaviour and the appeal of media messages with elements of violence.