Violence in the Media: Psychologists Study Potential Harmful Effects

Overview

Early concerns about the effects of television violence on children.
Study by psychologist Albert Bandura on social learning and imitation of violence.
Concerns about the desensitizing effect of media violence and potential for aggressive behavior.

Initial Findings:
- Children exposed to TV violence may become desensitized to pain and suffering of others.
- Increase in fearfulness of the world.
- Likelihood of aggressive or harmful behavior increases.
Research by L. Rowell Huesmann & Leonard Eron:
- Consistent findings on the link between childhood exposure to TV violence and later aggressive behavior.
- Longitudinal studies show higher aggression in teenagers and adults who viewed TV violence as children.
- TV watching could be a cause of aggressive behavior, not just a result.

Prevalence:
- 97% of adolescents (ages 12-17) engage in video gaming.
- Many popular games contain violence (e.g., Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto).
Research Findings:
- Craig A. Anderson's 2010 Review:
  - Violent video games linked to increased aggression, aggressive thoughts, and decreased empathy.
  - Content matters; not just the act of gaming.
- Christopher J. Ferguson's Critique:
  - Challenges the real-world applicability of laboratory findings.
  - Highlights the need to control for other variables like mental health and family life.
  - Suggests at-risk children may be more drawn to violent games, not caused by them.

APA launched an analysis of peer-reviewed research on media violence impacts in 2013.
Reviewing policy statements related to media violence.

Studies by Anderson (2010, 2003, 2000) highlighting the psychological impacts of violent media.
Research by Ferguson (2011) exploring the broader context of youth violence and video games.
Longitudinal studies by Huesmann and Eron (1986, 2003) linking TV violence exposure to aggression.
National Institute of Mental Health and Surgeon General reports on TV and social behavior.