What draws people to violent films?

A new joint US and German study finds that filmgoers are more likely to watch violent or gory films if they feel the violence has a meaningful purpose relatable to real life.

Researchers from the University of Augsburg, Germany and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US found that filmgoers were willing to watch violent scenes "if they felt there was meaning in confronting violent aspects of real life," researchers said in a March 28 press release.

The scientists enlisted 482 participants both in Germany and the US, ranging in ages from 18 to 82. Subjects viewed film trailers featuring different levels of gore and meaningfulness, and rated their likelihood of watching the full movie. They also indicated their perceptions of the film, as in how gory, meaningful, thought-provoking, or suspenseful they thought it was.

Earlier studies have suggested that audiences are not necessarily attracted to violence per se, but seem to be drawn to violent content because they anticipate other benefits, such as thrill and suspense. However the researchers say that this is only part of the story: audiences are also attracted to violent films if they promise to "satisfy truth-seeking motivations by offering meaningful insights into some aspect of the human condition," researchers said.

"Perhaps depictions of violence that are perceived as meaningful, moving and thought-provoking can foster empathy with victims, admiration for acts of courage and moral beauty in the face of violence, or self-reflection with regard to violent impulses," said head researcher Anne Bartsch of the University of Augsburg.

Bartsch and her colleagues will present their findings at the 63rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association this June in London