Nonhedonic responses to entertaining media offerings have recently attracted an extensive line of research investigating which stimuli can lead to which kind of experiences. Long-term investigations ...on the effects of cumulative exposure to entertaining media over time, however, remain the exception. Building on the theoretical concept of elevation and the notion that observing acts of human kindness can increase people's prosocial motivation, well-being, and affiliative intentions, the present study examined whether these effects are sustainable after prolonged exposure to elevating media material. In an experiment (N = 93), subjects were repeatedly exposed to either (a) elevating, (b) violent, or (c) neutral video stimuli over the period of 6 weeks. Results showed that prolonged exposure to elevating videos does not have direct enduring effects on viewers' psychological flourishing and willingness to interact with stereotyped groups. Nevertheless, repeatedly viewing acts of human kindness in online videos can indirectly increase prosocial motivation and improve recipients' conceptions of human beings-mediated through the sense of elevation.
Public Policy Relevance Statement
This experiment shows that repeated exposure to online videos that display acts of human kindness increases viewers' positive emotions, which, in turn, can foster their own willingness to act in a way that benefits others. These findings should encourage creators, uploaders, and sharers of this kind of online content to continue on spreading the collective norm of prosociality to foster individual and social change for good.
The field of children, adolescents, and media has predominantly focused on harmful media effects, for instance, concerning the potential harm of media violence. Although we recognize the relevance of ...that research, we propose that the balance in the field should be restored with research that also considers the beneficial effects of media exposure. In this essay we introduce positive media psychology to the arena of children, adolescents, and media. By incorporating insights from the field of positive psychology and pioneering work on meaningful media entertainment among adults, we provide a theoretical backdrop for future research to examine how media can help children and adolescents to thrive and flourish.
The aim of this experimental study was to examine whether prosocial behavior in television news affects children's prosocial intentions and behaviors. In this study, 372 Dutch children (9-13 years ...old) participated. Children in the experimental condition were exposed to prosocial news showing children organizing a fundraising action for UNICEF. In the control condition, children were exposed to news about UNICEF in which no prosocial behavior was included. Afterwards, children were given the opportunity to donate to UNICEF, which served as an index of prosocial behavior. Prosocial intentions were captured using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Regression analysis demonstrated that, while controlling for important confounders, children exposed to prosocial news were significantly more willing to help with setting up a project for UNICEF and donated more to UNICEF compared to children who did not watch prosocial news. These findings highlight that prosocial television can function as a tool for positive social change among children.
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