Professor: Pa Her
Student: Khosiyatkhon Sayfulloeva
Class: Child Psychology
Research Project “Aggression measurement”
LITERATURE REVIEW
Aggression is a physical, mental or verbal behavior attack in result of which can cause harm or
pain. Scientists believed that there is two areas in the human brain that regulates and responsible for
aggression such as amygdala and hypothalamus. The human brain maintains all kinds of behavior like
aggression or happiness, violence or charity, anxiety or braveness, which all together are human
emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social functioning. Moreover, some studies showed that cartoons
can be a cause for distraction and affect the focus and the children’s brains, which are still developing.
Sylvan Tomkins - psychologist states, “The only emotion that can sustain long-term
constructive or creative endeavors is interest,” is an explanation of the children’s emotions.
Moreover, Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Weill
Medical College, Cornell University and the author of Pride and Joy: A Guide to Understanding Your
Child's Emotions and Solving Family Problems. He states that, “Emotions are not just feelings. In
childhood and throughout life, our emotions guide our thoughts and our imagination, our behavior and
our moral judgments.”
The social emotional development plays a big role in children’s approach about other children,
development of communication, issue solving, making decision, and negotiation skills. According to
the Erik Erikson there are 8 stages of social emotional growth from infancy to adulthood. Some of
them such: trust, self-control, socially and academically to be competent. There is also, a theory that
children’s emotion can be changed or coached by their parents. (Denham&Wyatt) In addition, the
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parenting types are important in children social emotional development as well.
According to the Shenk, “Heredity is not straightforward, parents do pass on altered DNA to
children with additional instructional material known as epigenetic. From generation to generation
gene don’t change, but the epigenetic instruction can change. So, lifestyle can alter heredity.”
This individual research project was focused on aggression measurement of the children. The
accomplished study was an Experimental and Longitudinal experiment. The groups of children were
randomized: different ages, genders and different families with different social levels. There was an
equal amount of boys and girls, who were from different families. Two groups in the experiment such
as testing and control groups participated. The hypothesis of this experiment was “How happy or
bloody cartoons can influence and stimulate children’s aggressive behavior.” During the test,
children’s reactions and behaviors were absorbed and recorded. Also, after each show, the children
answered questions, which were designed for identification, judgment, like or dislike, interesting or
boring of cartoons characters. Also, for the study the collateral data such as school records, spouses,
teachers and friends interviews, were used as well. In addition, the statistics of violations in the Kings
County were gathered and recorded.
Researchers from the University of Virginia in 2011 found that a 9-minute chunk of what they
call an "animated kitchen sponge" cartoon had bad affect on 4 years old kids’ brains. After watching
the animation, the experts tested the children's thinking skills, their memory and compared their scores
to other youngsters, who had watched a slow-paced educational cartoon or drew pictures with crayons
and markers. The study showed that the preschoolers who watched the fast-paced shows did much
worse on the thinking tests than those in the two other groups, who scored about the same. The
researchers think that the stimulation from the fast-paced cartoons leading to lower scores due to fact
that the brain tired from all of the stimulation or gets overtaxed.
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METHODS
The testing group contained from six children of different ages 3-7, genders: boys and girls,
and families. The control group contained from the same amount of children, genders, ages beside the
fact that they were from one family. Gender differences were also absorbed in this study. The
independent variable was two cartoons: one representing happy beautiful life and another full of violet
and blood cartoon. The cartoon “Dark vessel” is about rife with robot murder, mysticism,
reincarnation, and revenge and “Tarzan II” is a comic funny cartoon about an awkward young kid who
wants to find himself. The dependent variable was children's behavior before and after each show,
which was recorded. On the first day, the cartoon was “Tarzan II” and on the second day, the bloody
cartoon “Dark vessel” was shown to each group in this research project. Data was collected and
recorded by the result of each show. After showing of each cartoon, the children’s answered questions.
Some examples of these questions were:
1. Did you like the cartoon of Tarzan II?
2. How did you feel while you watch the cartoon of Tarzan II?
3. What exactly did you like in the cartoon of Tarzan II?
4. If you played the role of one of the characters from the cartoon Tarzan II, who would you
be?
5. Why you want to play the role of this character?
6. Did you like the bloody cartoon “Dark vessel”?
7. How did you feel while you watched the bloody cartoon?
8. Why did you like or dislike about the bloody cartoon?
9. Which character attracted more of your attention in “Dark vessel”?
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10. Why did you like him or her more in “Dark vessel”?
Moreover, the information such as children’s childhood, watching violence TV programs, their
identification of aggressive characters and judgments of realism of TV violence, their aggressive
behavior and intellectual ability in the school were collected and used in this study. Also, parenting
practice and styles, measurement of the parents’ socioeconomic status, level of their education and
aggressiveness, parenting attitude and parents frequency of TV usage and viewing of violence were
used as well.
RESULTS
The behaviors children ages 3-4 were unstable while they watched the cartoon. In the episodes,
where was reflection of warm love between babies and moms, the cartoon made them feel unhappy
and they started to ask “Where is my mommy?” and search for their moms. In particular it was
observed in the behaviors of the children from different families, single moms, but with funny
episodes, where friends play to each other and enjoy the game, that cartoon made children to smile and
laugh.
In contrast, children ages 5-7 were calm while they watched the same episode of the same
cartoon and at the same time, their attention were completely attracted in the scene of the fight.
Moreover, they didn’t have unstable emotions, but were focused on the cartoon. By the end of the
cartoon, they started to copy the maneuvers of the main character of the cartoon “Tarzan.” This group
of children were involved into the discussion automatically before the questions were asked.
During the violation cartoon, which also had some scary episodes, there were some changes
observed in children’s behavior. Some of the children ages 3-4 started to cry, scream, and hide
themselves from the scary portrait of main characters of violent cartoon. They didn’t want to watch the
cartoon after the first three - five minutes of show. Mostly, it was observed between girls of any ages
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in compare with boys. However, for children ages 5-7, even they were scared as well when the scary
episodes and sounds with bleeding was played, but they still continued to watch the cartoon with a big
interest. After the finishing the show, these children started to hit each other and fight aggressively as
it was in the cartoon. Even the show of the cartoon finished, but children still were under impression
of it.
It was clear that for children ages 3-4, their interest decreased when the violation episodes were
involved and increased when the happy or funny episodes were shown. However, for children’s ages
5-7, their interest increased more during the violation cartoon in comparison with the happy one.
Younger children all liked the cartoon of Tarzan II and disliked the bloody one. In contrast to young
children, the older children mostly liked the violated cartoon and their explanation was the fact that in
the bloody cartoon these was more power and control. Emotionally both of groups of children were
influenced and controlled by the different actions of the cartoon. Moreover, the violation cartoon
polluted the imagination of the older children, and they were under the impression, their aggression
were stimulated so badly that affected their attitudes as well.
It was concluded that boys were more likely to be seriously engaged to the physical violation,
unlike the girls who were more likely to be engaged in an indirect form of the violation. It was
predicted that children, who chose to watch the aggressive cartoon, would be stimulated towards
aggression. The level of aggression of these children would be more likely to increase in adulthood, in
contrast to children who wanted to watch a happy cartoon.
From the school report of performance, it was noticed that children who showed low verbal
skills, higher subjective behavior, and low accomplishment are more likely to have been exposed to
domestic violence than children who were opposed to them.
The project one more time proved the fact that children’s points of view or imaginations are
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reflections of their knowledge. Due to the cartoon they watched, the stories they read, or the games
they played they organize their schemas and use in their practice. The theory of Jean Piaget, “Schemas
formed and revised by relating experiences,” clarifies the children’s behavior in the study. Due to their
ability for growth and how physically as well as emotionally, which shapes their personalities, it is
very important that parents and teachers assist and participate in their transitions.
There is a close correlation between parenting style and children’s behavior as well. It is
important in what kind of environment the children grow and with what kinds of information they are
fed. Some studies showed that due to difficult experience (to be a victim or a witness of abuse) in early
childhood, it was predicted that these people are more likely exposed to domestic violation.
DISCUSSION
The result of the study showed that the early childhood exposure to the violation cartoon
predicted aggressive behavior for boys and girls in adulthood. It is really important and highly
recommended that the parents or teachers at the beginning should engage their children’s or students’
interests from their early ages and then to expand these interests into constructive projects and longterm goals. That can happen by building a step by step strategy focused on certain aims. They (parents
or teachers) should make note of moments of interest and effort and support them. They should be
very patient with their children or students and interested in why these activities appeal to them. For
instance, if the children like playing video games or watch a cartoon, they should watch him or her
play or control the time for how long (no more the two hour a day recommended by the Pediatric
Association) and what kind of cartoon they watch (happy or violation). First of all, the parents or the
teachers should show interest to their children’ or students’ activities and then play with them and help
them pick the right cartoon to watch (read the review) and then join them. Ask them to teach you
(parents or teachers) the game or explain what they like or dislike in a cartoon and observe their
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behaviors after the show. If the parents or teacher want to motivate their children or students, it is
really crucial to build a bridge first, in order to motivate the children or students in the future.
It is all about the trust between parents or teachers and children or students. Parents and
teachers play key role in motivation and improvement of children or students. How Vygotsky’s theory
about Zone of proximal development states, “Level of additional responsibility child can accept with
assistance of an able instructor.” These types of strategies will reduce the amount of violation and help
to shape children and students’ personalities and direct their interest into the education.
Over the last 300 years, the history of school shooting shows that most of the perpetrators
were boys as opposed to young girls, and this study hints at proof of this fact. Also, the statistical fact
of increasing of the violation in the Kings County Community (Domestic Violence Experiment in
King's County (Brooklyn), New York, 1995-1997) is important because if the environment isn’t
properly developed can cause many damages for children’s and future generations. The example from
David Shenk’s book regarding Maze bright rats would be the best example for this situation, where it
was raised in richer environment which performance was compared with the Maze-dull rats, which
was grew in poor environment.
Therefore, in this study the targets of the project aren’t just the children or students from ages
3-7, but rather their parents and teachers in kindergartens, pre-schools and schools of Kings County
Community. The study endeavors to teach and improve parenting styles and pedagogical skills, and to
prepare perfect, safe and healthy environment for children’s growth (development of neighborhood,
and community), and also, how to build successful strategies for reducing exposure of aggression in
the children’s early childhood.
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LITERATURE CITED
Children Who Are Subject To an Investigated Report. Internet. Available 2013. Used 2013. From:
http://datacenter.aecf.org/data?gclid=CPPX8cX_ursCFdBlOgod01IAPA#NY/2/0
Domestic Violence Experiment in King's County (Brooklyn), New York, 1995-1997 (ICPSR 4307).
Internet. Available 2000. Used 2013. From: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/4307
Harwood, R. Miller, S. A., R. (2008). Child Psychology: Development in a Changing Society. John
Wiley & Sons Inc.
History
of
school
shootings.
Internet.
Available
2013.
Used
2013.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States
Perry, Bruce D. Aggression and Violence: The Neurobiology of Experience. Internet. Available
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/aggression_violence.htm#author
Shenk, David. The Genius in All of Us. First edition, 2010. Doubleday, a division of Random House,
Inc., New York.
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