Fear vs. Fascination: A Study of Benign Masochism in Media 

Introduction

• People high in benign masochism seek out negative, high-arousal content (e.g., scary or disturbing videos) because they reinterpret these experiences and ultimately feel better after exposure (Dysuch-Hazar & Mitschke, 2023)
• They are driven by emotion regulation and sensation-seeking, intentionally engaging with uncomfortable media to gain psychological reward once the situation is perceived as safe (Dyduch-Hazar & Mitschke, 2023)
• This study aims to better understand how individual psychological differences, specifically benign masoshism, influence media preferences, helping explain why people are drawn to uncomfortable or distressing content 

Key Hypothesis

H1: Benign masoshism moderates the effect of true crime versus nature documentary effects on indivdual viewing perceptions and frequency. 

Procedure

68 participants completed an online experiment designed on Qualtrics. Participants benign masoshism trait was measured, followed by a distractor task, and then they were randomly assigned to watch a nature video versus a true crime video clip. Finally, their attitude towards the videos they watched was assessed.

DV: How often do you watch content like this? (Question was asked on a 1-5 scale)

Experimental Sample 

True Crime Sample

Nature Sample

Descriptives

Age: Primarily young adults | Gender: Evenly split between male and remale, with minimal discretion. 

Key Findings

Benign Masochism Score Distribution

Table 1: Regression Results: Interactions for Video Type and Benign Masochism

This suggests that the influence of masochistic tendencies on viewing frequency depends on whether the content is true crime or nature.

Table 2: Regression Results: Interactions for Video Type and Benign Masochism

There is a significant main effect of Benign Masochism, suggesting it is a meaningful predictor of viewing habits.

Table 2A: Benign Masochism Effects (True Crime)

Rising benign masochism is linked with viewing frequency for True Crime.

Table 2B: Benign Masochism Effects (Nature)

There is no effect for nature videos.

Table 3A: True Crime Video Recommendations

True crime recommendations were more "gatekept," often limited to those the participant felt could handle the severity of the content.

Table 3B: Nature Video Recommendations

The nature content was viewed as "cute" and universally safe, leading to high recommendation rates across general social circles.

Conclusion

• Benign masochism plays a significant role in how individuals percieve and engage with uncomfortable or fear-based media.
• Individuals with higher levels of benign masochism showed increased interest and tolerance toward disturbing or intent content.
• The findings suggest that discomfort can be pyschologically reinterpreted as enjoyable when perceived as safe.
• This helps explain why audiences are drawn to media such as true crime, horror, and extreme or shocking content.
• Our results support the hypothesis that benign masochism moderates emotional responses to negative stimuli.
• Down below, recommendations from both true crime and nature participants shed light on which demographics they believe would want to consume each media type.

Implications

If interested in benign masochism: Check out movies and shows such as DAHMER, Suspiria, and Us.

Professional Application

"This project gave us the opportunity to take a topic we were genuinely interested in and turn it into meaningful research with real-world value. As MBA candidates, we strive to become well-rounded business professionals, and this experience pushed us to step into unfamiliar roles that challenged and expanded our skill sets. Overall, we gained confidence in our ability to wear many hats and take on roles that demand adaptability, critical thinking, and leadership." - Julien Mercado Bonanno ’25, MBA ’26, Luca Cutolo ’25, MBA ’26 and Mila Iuteri ’25, MBA ’26

For Further Discussion

This serves as an overview of the project and does not include the complete work. To further discuss this project, please email Mila Iuteri.

Course Overview

MK 620: Applied Consumer Behavior Research provides a basic understanding of the major concepts and theories in consumer decision-making and behavior and how these can be used as the basis for empirical research on the way consumers process information, form preferences and make buying choices. This is a course in which theories from psychology, sociology and economics are applied to the study of consumer behavior.

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