“I Love It Even Though It’s Terrible!”: Dimensions of Media Entertainment as Guilty Pleasure

• In Event: The Study of Emotion and Entertainment Media

Abstract

A survey (N = 301) was conducted to examine guilty pleasures, how frequently media activities are identified as guilty pleasures, and the reasons why people may feel guilt. Overall, media were spontaneously named as guilty pleasures by approximately half of the sample, with food consumption (e.g., chocolate, snacks) named by approximately half. Three forms of guilty pleasure were evaluated: Procrastination Guilt (the activity displaces other activities), Quality-Based Guilt (the activity is perceived as low quality), and Normative Guilt (other people may disapprove of the activity). Media-based activities were associated with greater procrastination and normative guilt than non-media activities. Although mediated and non-mediated guilty pleasures were associated with equally low levels of appreciation for the activity, mediated activities were associated with higher levels of enjoyment. Results are discussed in terms of issues related to the ubiquity of media entertainment, the importance of multi-tasking, and the reasons behind self-reported guilt.

Authors

• Mary Beth Oliver, Pennsylvania State U

• Arienne Ferchaud, Pennsylvania State University

• Erica Bailey, Pennsylvania State U

• Chun Yang, Penn State University

• Meghan Shara Sanders, Louisiana State U