Answering Questions for Charlton et al (2002)
a. It challenges Huesmann and Eron (1986) by stating that although elementary children of St
Helena watched aggressive videos or acts of violence on television, they did not demonstrate it,
even after 5 years of watching such videos, whereas in Huesmann and Eron’s study, children
were shown to demonstrate more aggression as teenagers depending on the hours of violence
watched on television when they were in elementary.
b. It supports SCLT since it still demonstrates that humans learn through observation because these
children were now aware of aggressive and violent behaviours and were very well capable of
performing the behaviour, however, did not show it, simply because they were unmotivated to.
Which confirms that there must be some sort of motivation involved to imitate or display a
certain behaviour.
c. The broader implications of the study show that watching shows or films on television does not
directly cause children to act in an aggressive and violent matter. Their behaviour is also
dependent on the behaviour that is displayed by their role models (in St Helena, antisocial
behaviour was not accepted so children mimicked older models and were social) and the culture
that they were nurtured in.