How Does She Do It? An Experimental Study of the Pro- and Anti-social Effects of Watching Superhero Content among Late Adolescents

Although superheroes are popular characters on television and in movies, there is a lack of research on the effects of viewing this content among adolescents. For this reason, we conducted an experiment (N = 145; no-view control, nonviolent superhero content, violent superhero content) among adolescents ages 16–18. Results indicated that exposure to violent superhero content elicited prosocial outcomes among males, but not among females. There were no significant main effects or interactions for indicators of hostility in any of the three conditions. We contextualize these findings by considering pro- and antisocial media effects, as well as aspects of adolescent development.