Violence and Sex in Television Programs Do Not Sell Products in Advertisements

Author: Bushman, Brad J.

Source: Psychological Science, Volume 16, Number 9, September 2005 , pp. 702-708(7)

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Abstract:

Adults (N= 336) 18 to 54 years old watched a television program containing violence, sex, both violence and sex, or no violence and sex. Programs were shown in a comfortable room containing padded chairs and tasty snacks. Each program contained the same 12 ads. Embedding an ad in a program containing violence or sex reduced (a) viewers' likelihood of remembering the advertised brand, (b) their interest in buying that brand, and (c) their likelihood of selecting a coupon for that brand. These effects occurred for males and females of all ages, regardless of whether they liked programs containing violence and sex. These results show that violence and sex in television programs do not sell products in advertisements.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01599.x

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Social Research, Department of Psychology, and Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan

Publication date: 2005-09-01