On the face of it, it seems that the possibility that we intentionally seek content that harms us, is contrary to the research-based hedonistic principle, according to which man strives to avoid pain and maximize pleasure, and therefore would prefer to avoid consuming content that evokes negative feelings such as anger. New research proves the opposite
We all consume news content that sometimes evokes negative emotions in us such as anger. A survey conducted by Esquire magazine in 2016 found that 68% of people consume news content that makes them angry at least once a day. But is it possible that we are looking for such content on purpose? This is according to a study conducted these days by Dr. Nira Monichor from the School of Business Administration at Bar Ilan University and Prof. Yael Steinhart from the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University.What is the question? Do people consume angry content on purpose? And if so, why?
On the face of it, it seems that the possibility that we intentionally seek content that harms us, is contrary to the research-based hedonistic principle, according to which man strives to avoid pain and maximize pleasure, and therefore would prefer to avoid consuming content that evokes negative feelings such as anger. On the other hand, previous studies have shown that people may sometimes seek negative emotions, such as sadness and fear, when they occur together with positive emotions, or with the aim of helping to achieve a goal. People may sometimes seek negative emotions, such as sadness and fear, when they occur together with positive emotions, or with a goal to help achieve a goal.
The researchers believe that consuming angry content is intended to help a person feel better about his attitudes and self-concept. "We expect that a news consumer who experiences a conflict regarding a certain issue will proactively search for anger-inducing content on the issue of the conflict in which he finds himself. The explanation for this is that this is because a conflictual experience threatens the ego of the news consumer, and the anger that arises as a result of consuming the particular content helps people feel better about themselves."
Preliminary findings of the study - carried out with the help of a research grant from the National Science Foundation - support that people expressed a willingness to consume content when they knew it would make them angry. In an initial sample of 116 subjects, the researchers found that 78% reported that they would read articles even if it was known that the content of the article would make them angry, 62% reported that they would read angry blogs and 45% would watch television programs with angry content. In addition, a preliminary study among 178 subjects demonstrated that the duration of watching an anger-inducing video was longer compared to a video with neutral content, among subjects who experienced conflict in their positions before watching the video (compared to subjects who did not experience conflict).
Another common example is political division. "When an American voter identifies with the positions of the Democratic Party," say Steinhart and Monichor, "and there is no doubt that her positions are contrary to the positions expressed by former President Trump in his speeches, tweets, and media appearances, she will know that exposure to these contents will anger her, and yet, she will listen to the speeches and read the The tweets, in order to strengthen her self-perception." For many people, it is important to act for the common good, and they are exposed to people with attitudes that they believe harm the common good, such as in debates with vaccine opponents, people who violate quarantine, or confirmed patients who do not observe the conditions of isolation. In such situations, a person who needs information on these topics knew that it would make him angry, but he would still read them, precisely to experience the anger, with an aspiration to feel better about his positions.
The researchers also give examples from the days of the Corona virus: "For many people, it is important to act for the common good, and they are exposed to people with attitudes that they believe harm the common good, such as in debates with vaccine opponents, people who violate quarantine, or confirmed patients who do not observe the conditions of isolation. In such situations, a person who needs news on these issues knew that it would make him angry, but he would still read them, precisely to experience the anger, with an aspiration to feel better about his positions."
The research will be based mainly on experimental setups with several stages. In the first phase, the researchers plan to measure the extent to which the subjects experience conflict on a certain topic. In the second stage, they will allow the subjects to consume angry content (video clips or articles). In the third stage, they plan to measure the subjects' self-concept. The goal is to demonstrate in a controlled manner that subjects who have experienced conflict (as opposed to subjects who have not experienced conflict), will prefer to consume angry content (compared to neutral content), and as a result will improve their self-concept.
The researchers hope that their research will contribute to a better understanding of the elusive system of connections between emotions and consumption, as well as to a better understanding of the mechanisms and feelings of anger. Further, the research findings may make consumers more aware of the possible benefits inherent in consuming anger in certain contexts. "Consumers will be able to feel more legitimate about consuming to experience anger if they know that this will help them feel better about themselves."
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