Watching TV coverage of terror makes viewers feel threatened
Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 10:51
in Psychology & Sociology
Viewing TV coverage of terrorist events causes deterioration of psychological resources, such as commitment and a sense of success, and to feeling threatened, which in turn can also lead to loss of resources and other negative affects. This has been found in a new study at the University of Haifa. "Mass media plays a central role in reporting on terrorism and political violence. The present study shows that watching this type of coverage on television has negative effects, even for someone who was not at all involved in an event being viewed," said Prof. Moshe Zeidner, who headed the study.