Forbidden fruit versus tainted fruit: Effects of warning labels on attraction to television violence
Bushman first author. Three experiments pitted forbidden-fruit theory, that warnings raise interest, against tainted-fruit theory, that they lower it. Warning labels increased interest in violent programmes, especially when the source was authoritative; people high in reactance were especially drawn to labelled violent programmes; and warning labels raised interest more than information labels did. The abstract gives no sample sizes.
Bushman first author. Three experiments pitted forbidden-fruit theory, that warnings raise interest, against tainted-fruit theory, that they lower it. Warning labels increased interest in violent programmes, especially when the source was authoritative; people high in reactance were especially drawn to labelled violent programmes; and warning labels raised interest more than information labels did. The abstract gives no sample sizes.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-18.
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Bushman, B. J., & Stack, A. D. (1996). Forbidden fruit versus tainted fruit: Effects of warning labels on attraction to television violence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2(3), 207-226. doi:10.1037/1076-898x.2.3.207.