Abstract
The Werther Effect After Television Films: New Evidence for an Old Hypothesis
Schmidtke A~~Hafner H
A 6-week serial showing the railway suicide of a 19-year-old male student was broadcast twice & provided an experimental ABABA design to investigate differential effects of suicide imitation. These were most clearly observable in groups whose age & sex was closest to that of the model. Imitation effects remained detectable for longer periods in these same groups. Increases observed after the 1st & 2nd broadcast for males younger than 30 closely corresponded with the respective audience figures.