WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Researchers have found that people who watch violent or sexually-explicit TV shows are less likely to remember the commercials, compared to viewers of less explicit programming. The report, published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Applied Psychology, says 324 adult volunteers were randomly assigned to watch violent, sexually explicit or “neutral” TV shows. Each show contained nine commercials for regular household products. The study found that viewers of sex or violence were able to remember 67% fewer brand names at the end of the show, and 60% fewer when they were asked again the next day. Viewers of neutral shows had a better memory of commercial brands. One suggestion was that the intensity of sex and violence tends to drown out other information, or to draw the viewer’s attention more deeply, leaving little or no room for retaining anything else. For Daily Telegraph coverage see: https://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/06/17/wads17.xml For the American Psychological Association Press Release see: https://www.apa.org/releases/tvads.html The full-text of the study can be downloaded (pdf) from: https://www.apa.org/journals/apl/press_releases/june_2002/apl873557.pdf
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TV SEX AND VIOLENCE REDUCE BRAIN POWER, STUDY FINDS
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Researchers have found that people who watch violent or sexually-explicit TV shows are less likely to remember the commercials, compared to viewers of less explicit programming. The report, published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Applied Psychology, says 324 adult volunteers were randomly assigned to watch violent, sexually explicit or “neutral” TV shows. Each show contained nine commercials for regular household products. The study found that viewers of sex or violence were able to remember 67% fewer brand names at the end of the show, and 60% fewer when they were asked […]
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