Rj. Harris et al., Young men's and women's different autobiographical memories of the experience of seeing frightening movies on a date, MEDIA PSYCH, 2(3), 2000, pp. 245-268
The present study used autobiographical memory to investigate the social ex
perience and short- and long-term effects of seeing frightening movies on a
dare, extending Zillmann and Weaver's (1996) model of differential gender-
role behaviors to persons' own real-life dating experiences. Young adult pa
rticipants (a) recalled the experience of watching a scary movie on a dare,
and (b) were assessed for levels of gender-role traditionality, sensation
seeking. and dispositional empathy. Results showed that almost all individu
als could recall such a date. Although men reported more positive reactions
to the film and women more negative reactions, the experience appeared to
have some social utility for both. Sex was a better predictor than the gend
er-role measures for Negative Reactions, Sleep Disturbances, and the likeli
hood of being Scared Today by the movie. Sensation-Seeking and Empathy were
modest predictors of the same variables. In sum, the dating context seemed
to encourage both men and women to behave and react in highly gender-stere
otypical ways.