Why We Like Bad News

Summary

This SciShow Psych episode explores why we're drawn to negative news despite the world improving. It discusses the 'negativity bias,' where negative events have a more significant impact on us than positive ones, and 'positive-negative asymmetry,' where we assume a positive outlook but prioritize negative information. The show suggests social media might counteract this by encouraging the sharing of positive content, yet notes that high arousal emotions, whether positive or negative, drive sharing more than the valence itself. It concludes by highlighting the importance of being aware of negative news to protect and improve our world.

Takeaways

• 📉 Despite negative headlines, global homicide rates have been dropping for centuries and life expectancy is increasing.
• 📰 The media is often blamed for focusing on sensational negative news, but consumer demand plays a role in this trend.
• 🧠 Humans have a psychological negativity bias, which makes us more attentive to bad news than good news.
• 🔍 A 2007 Pew Research Center study showed that topics like war, terrorism, and disasters consistently attract more attention.
• 💔 Negative news stories elicit stronger physiological reactions, as demonstrated by studies measuring heart rates and skin conductance.
• 🌟 There's also a positivity bias where people generally assume a positive outlook on life, despite the negativity bias.
• 🔄 This contradiction is known as positive-negative asymmetry, where we expect good but prioritize bad information due to its rarity and risk.
• 🚨 Negative information is processed more thoroughly by the brain and described with more complex language.
• 📲 Social media might counteract negativity bias, as studies show positive content is more likely to be shared and go viral.
• 🌐 The way people engage with social media as active participants may encourage the sharing of positive content over negative.
• ⚠️ High arousal content, whether positive or negative, is more likely to be shared due to its impact on the nervous system.

Q & A

Why do people tend to pay more attention to bad news?

People are wired to pay more attention to bad news due to a psychological phenomenon known as negativity bias, which causes negative events to have a bigger impact on us than positive ones.

What is the negativity bias and how does it affect our perception?

Negativity bias is the tendency for negative things to have a more significant effect on us than positive ones. It causes negative events to stick out more in our minds, be processed more thoroughly, and potentially outweigh positive events.

How does the positivity bias contradict the negativity bias?

The positivity bias is the tendency for people to form mostly positive theories about reality, despite the negativity bias that makes us pay more attention to bad news. This contradiction is known as positive-negative asymmetry.

What role does the rarity of negative events play in our attention to them?

Negative events are more rare and ignoring them poses a bigger risk than paying too much attention to them, which is why our brains are more vigilant about them, helping us to avoid danger.

How does the 1991 study on color naming and negative words relate to our attention to negative information?

The 1991 study showed that participants took longer to name the colors of negative words, indicating that the negative words themselves drew their attention, demonstrating our inherent focus on negative information.

What did the 2003 study involving subliminal messaging reveal about our perception of negative words?

The 2003 study found that even when negative and positive words were flashed too fast for conscious recognition, participants had a stronger subconscious impression of the negative words.

How does social media potentially act as an antidote to the prevalence of negative news?

Social media might be an antidote to negative news because people tend to share more positive content when they are active participants, as opposed to being passive consumers of traditional media.

What did the New York Times analysis in 2010 reveal about the sharing of positive articles?

The New York Times analysis showed that articles with a more positive tone were more likely to be shared and go viral, suggesting a preference for positive content in social media environments.

What is the difference between emotional valence and arousal in the context of news sharing?

Emotional valence refers to whether content is perceived as positive or negative, while arousal tracks whether content activates the nervous system. High arousal, regardless of valence, can significantly impact the decision to share content.

Why is it important not to discount negative news despite the potential benefits of positive news?

Negative news helps us stay vigilant about potential threats and problems, allowing us to take action to protect ourselves and improve the world. It's essential for awareness and change.

How does the way we use social media as active participants influence the content we share?

As active participants on social media, we share content that signals aspects of our identity and communicates with our network. This can lead to a preference for sharing positive content to avoid alienating our connections.