For several decades researchers have been documenting the appearance of violence in the popular media and particularly in television shows and movies, but less attention has been given to the presentation of this material in paid advertisements or commercials. This entry reviews the studies that did delve into this issue and discusses the conclusions that stem from these works.

Why Should We Study the Presentation of Violence in Advertising?

Documenting the frequency with which violence appears in the media and the context in which this material shows up is important because media portrayals help to shape consumers’ conceptions of reality (for review, see Comstock & Scharrer, 1999). Although researchers disagree over the size of the effect of media violence and its practical implications on daily life, ...

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