Your favorite superheroes aren’t only making an impact in their worlds — they can inspire real-world heroism, too. A study published in The Journal of Psychology found that superhero movies can spark prosocial behavior among viewers despite the violence shown.
Prosocial behavior refers to acts intended to help other individuals, such as sharing, helping and showing concern for others. Aside from positively affecting the recipients of positive actions, these acts also benefit the giver, including better mood, social support and reduced stress levels.
The 2024 study conducted two online experiments with 200 Brazilian volunteers randomly put into control and experimental groups. Participants in the experimental group watched a three-minute and 47-second video from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which Batman rescues Martha, a captured woman. This scene was chosen because it depicts a mix of violence and a clear prosocial motive to rescue someone in need. Meanwhile, people in the control group watched a clip featuring colorful shapes and patterns.
After the experiment, the volunteers took a prosocial behavior test by distributing pieces of chocolate to future participants who liked it. The number of chocolates given was associated with how helpful each volunteer was.
Moreover, researchers also assessed participants’ empathy levels based on three categories:
- Affective empathy or sharing someone else’s feelings
- Cognitive empathy or understanding an individual’s feelings
- Associative empathy or identifying with the character in the video
The results showed that experimental group participants scored higher on the empathy scale and associative empathy, meaning they identified with Batman and his goal to rescue someone.
Another interesting finding is that the experimental group volunteers didn’t give a significant amount of chocolate compared to the control group participants. Nevertheless, the study concluded that understanding the hero’s motives can help encourage viewers to be helpful in the real world.
In the second experiment, the researchers assessed moral justification by asking participants if Batman’s violence was necessary. The study found that this played a crucial role in the prosocial behavior tests. People who think Batman acted morally are more likely to help others.
However, the study acknowledged limitations, including potential distractions and the fact that the chocolate distribution task doesn’t fully reflect real-world prosocial behavior.
Superhero movies are one of the most profitable genres globally, largely thanks to the success of Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe. In 2019, the revenue of these films reached $3.19 billion, with movies like Spider-Man: Far from Home and Avengers: Endgame — which earned $2.79 billion worldwide in 2019 — performing well among all ages.
Parents should encourage their kids to engage with this genre since it can help foster prosocial behavior. This is especially important due to the high levels of screen time among American teens, which average around seven hours and 22 minutes daily. To address this issue, parents can dedicate a weekly family movie night to enjoy superhero films together.
According to Dr. Lance Garrison, watching these movies can help inspire children to be better individuals.
“Superheroes can be a positive influence on children, as they often embody qualities such as bravery, compassion and a strong sense of justice. Some children may find comfort in the idea of a hero who can overcome challenges and protect the innocent, especially if they feel vulnerable or powerless in their own lives,” he shares.
Future studies could explore the impact of superhero movies across diverse age groups and cultural settings to encourage more engagement with this genre.