Do You Like Heroes or Villains? The Association between Preference for Media Characters and Behavioural Characteristics in Preschoolers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Exposure to heroes and villains via media may influence individuals’ behavioural characteristics, but little is known about its effects on the developmental process. Especially, it is unclear whether preferences for heroes or villains are associated with behavioural characteristics in preschoolers, when exposure to TV rapidly increases. We categorised children aged 3–6 years (N = 200) into three groups—hero preference, villain preference, and equal preference– based on their preference for popular Japanese media characters. We compared the groups’ persistence, prosociality, and empathy through a cross-sectional study, which revealed that children in the hero group exhibited higher levels of persistence and prosociality than children in the villain group. Furthermore, children in the villain group displayed greater total difficulties and lower persistence than children in the hero and equal groups. This suggests that preschoolers’ behavioural characteristics differ depending on their preferences. Children who liked justice heroes tended to exhibit behavioural traits that were considered socially good. In contrast, children who liked villains tended to exhibit behavioural traits that were considered socially bad. The possible influence of media characters on children’s behavioural characteristics is discussed from the perspective of behavioural modelling.