Why is the media we are stuffed only bad news? Blame us or them?

When you read the news, it sometimes seems that the press covers only tragic, unpleasant or sad events. Why do the media pay attention to life's troubles, and not on the positive things? And this superiority toward negative characterizes us - readers, listeners and viewers?

The point is not that there is anything other than bad things. Perhaps journalists are more attracted by their coverage because a sudden catastrophe in the news looks more attractive than the slow development of this or that situation. And maybe, in the offices believe that unscrupulous reporting on corrupt politicians or lighting unpleasant events easier to manufacture.

However, it is likely that we, the readers and viewers, simply taught journalists to pay more attention to such news. Many say that they would prefer the good news, but is it really?

To test this version, the researchers Trassler Mark and Stuart Soroka set up an experiment in the Canadian McGill University. According to the scientists, previous studies of how people relate to the news, were not entirely accurate. Either course of the experiment is not enough controlled (for example, subjects were allowed to view the news from home - in such a situation is not always clear who is in the family enjoys computer), or to create artificial conditions too (people invited to select news stories in the laboratory, where each participant knew that the experimenter is closely monitoring its choice).

Therefore, Canadian researchers decided to try a new strategy: introduce subjects into error.

Trick question

Trassler and Soroka invited volunteers from his university to come to the lab for "studies of eye movements." Initially, subjects were asked to choose a few political notes with a news site, the camera was able to capture some "basic" eye movements. The volunteers were told that it is important to read the notes to obtain accurate measurements, and specifically what they read does not matter.

After the phase of the "training" of the experiment, participants watched a short video (as they were told, that there is the meaning of the study, but in fact it was only necessary for distraction), and then to answer questions about what the political news they would like to to read.

Results of the experiment (as well as the most popular notes) proved to be rather bleak. Participants are often chosen negatively stained stories - about corruption, failure, hypocrisy, and so on - instead of neutral or positive stories. Very often bad news read those generally interested in current events and politics.

However, the direct question, these people answered that they prefer good news. As a rule, they said that the press too much focus on negative events.

The reaction to danger

The researchers present their experiment as irrefutable proof of the so-called negative prejudice - the psychological term refers to our collective desire to hear and remember the poor news.

According to their theory, it's not just gloating, but also in the evolution that has taught us to respond quickly to potential threats. Bad news may be a signal that we need to change their behavior in order to avoid danger.

As one would expect from this theory, there is evidence that people are quick to react to negative words. Try in the framework of a laboratory experiment to show the subject of the word "cancer", "bomb" or "war", and he presses a button in response to faster than if the "child" was written on the screen, "Smile" or "joy" (although these nice words a little more often used). We recognize negative words faster than positive, and can even predict what word would be unpleasant even before they knew what the word.

So, our vigilance in relation to the potential threat - the only explanation for our addiction to bad news? Probably no.

There is a different interpretation of the data obtained Trasslerom and forty: we pay attention to the bad news, because in general tend to idealize what is happening in the world. As for our own lives, most of us consider themselves better than others, and, according to popular stamp, we expect that in the end everything will be fine. Similar rainbow perception of reality leads to the fact that bad news are a surprise to us and we give them more importance. Dark spots, known to be visible only on a light background.

It turns out, the nature of our passions bad news can be attributed not only the cynicism of journalists or our internal desire for negativity. The reason may be our indestructible idealism.

In those days, when the news is not very good, this idea gives me hope that all is not lost for humanity.