Exposure to Media Violence: The Effects of Witnessing Aggression
1.
One issue that has repeatedly gripped public attention in recent years is
this: Does repeated exposure to filmed or televised violence produce an
increase in similar behavior among viewers? This is an important question,
with serious social implications. It is not surprising, then, that it has been the
subject of literally hundreds of research projects. The findings of these studies
have certainly not been entirely consistent. Given the complexity of the issues
addressed, this is to be expected. However, taken together, they point to the
following conclusion: Exposure to media violence may, in fact, be one factor
contributing to high and rising levels of violence in the United States and
elsewhere. Several lines of research conducted in very different ways are
consistent with this interpretation.
2.
First, this interpretation is supported by many short-term laboratory
studies. In the earliest of these investigations, Bandura, Ross and Ross
(1963) exposed young children to one of two short films. In one, an adult
model aggressed against an inflated toy clown (known as a Bobo doll) in
various ways (e.g., she sat on the toy and repeatedly punched it in the nose).
In the other, the same model behaved in a quiet, nonaggressive manner.
Later, the children in both groups were allowed to play freely in a room
containing many toys, including several used by the model. Observations of
their behavior revealed that those who had seen the model behave
aggressively were much more likely to attack the inflated toy than those who
had not witnessed such behavior. These findings suggest that even very
young children can acquire new ways of aggressing against others through
exposure to filmed or televised violence.
3.
In subsequent laboratory studies, subjects viewed actual television
programs or films and were then given an opportunity to attack (supposedly) a
real victim rather than an inflated toy (e.g., Liebert & Baron, 1972). Once
again, results were the same: Participants (both children and adults) who
witnessed media violence later demonstrated higher levels of aggression than
participants who were not exposed to such materials did (Liebert, Sprafkin &
Davidson, 1989). Consider a well-conducted study by Josephson (1987). In
this investigation, second- and third-grade boys watched either an exciting
film about a bike-racing team or excerpts from a popular, violence-filled
television program. The latter film contained scenes in which the member of a
special police team killed or knocked unconscious a large number of
criminals. After the boys watched one of these films, their behavior was
observed while they played a game of “floor hockey”. Results indicated that
for boys who were rated by their teachers as being highly aggressive in the
classroom, exposure to the violent programs had the expected effects. Those
who watched these shows engaged in more acts of aggression during the
hockey game (e.g., hitting others with their hockey stick, elbowing them,
insulting them). Such findings were not obtained among groups of boys
previously rated as nonaggressive – a finding suggesting that violence in the
media is more likely to enhance aggression among persons who already have
a strong tendency for such behavior than among those in whom this tendency
is relatively weak.
4.
Additional – and in some ways more convincing – evidence for the
aggression-enhancing impact of media violence is provided by a second
group of studies using different methods. In these long-term field
investigations, different groups of subjects have been exposed to contrasting
amounts of media violence, and their overt levels of aggression in natural
situations were then observed (e.g., Leyens et al., 1975; Parke et al., 1977).
Again, results indicate that youngsters exposed to violent programs or movies
demonstrate higher levels of aggression than those exposed to nonviolent
materials.
5.
Third, other investigators have conducted long-term correlational studies
in which the amount of media violence watched by individuals as children is
statistically related to their rated levels of aggression several years – or even
decades – later (e.g., Eron, 1982; Huesmann, 1982). Information on the
amount of violence watched is based on subjects’ reports about the shows
they watched plus violence ratings of these programs. Information on
subjects’ subsequent levels of aggression is acquired from ratings of their
behavior by classmates or teachers. The results of such investigations
indicate that these two variables are indeed related: The more media violence
individuals watch as children, the higher their rated levels of aggression as
adults. Further, the strength of this relationship seems to increase with age,
thus suggesting that the influence of media violence is cumulative over time.
The more shows of this kind that individuals watch, the more likely they are to
behave aggressively in a wide range of situations.
6.
Finally, we should note that similar effects seem to occur as a result of
playing aggressive video games, as well as from merely watching aggressive
programs. (In a sense, such games provide players with an opportunity to
participate in aggressive activities, or at least representations of them.) In one
revealing study on this topic, Schutte and his colleagues (Schutte et al. 1988)
had male and female children ages five to seven play one of two exciting
video games. In the first, a violent game called “Karateka,” the character
controlled by subjects hit or kicked various villains in order to destroy them. In
the second, a nonviolent game called “Jungle Hunt,” the character swung
from vine to vine while crossing a jungle. After playing one of these two
games, children were observed, in pairs, in a special playroom. Results
indicated that those who had played the aggressive game were more likely to
hit both their playmate and an inflated doll than those who had played the
nonviolent game.
7.
Incidentally, additional findings indicate that even among adults, the
greater individuals’ tendency to engage in “horse-play” (aggressive playfighting), the greater their tendency to engage in more harmful acts of
aggression (Gergen, 1991). Thus, the relationship between aggressive play
and actual aggression may be stronger than many persons suspect.
8.
Again, we should add a note of caution. Not all findings have been
consistent with the idea that exposure to media violence (or participation in
aggressive video games) increases actual aggression (Freedman, 1984).
Moreover, the evidence for relatively short-term effects of viewing violence are
more firmly established by research than the potential long-term effects are.
Still, existing evidence, when taken as a whole, seems to offer at least
moderate support for the conclusion that exposure to media violence can
contribute, along with many other factors, to the occurrence of aggressive
behavior.
Children see a lot of violence on TV and on films and videos.
Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statements?
1. Violence on TV and on films and videos can harm children.
AGREE
DISAGREE
2. Can children learn to be aggressive by watching violent
acts on TV?
AGREE
DISAGREE
3. Viewing violence can make children scared of the world in
which they live.
AGREE
DISAGREE
4. When TV violence is shown as funny, it doesn’t hurt
children.
AGREE
DISAGREE
5. As long as there isn’t much blood and gore, TV violence
isn’t a problem.
AGREE
DISAGREE
6. Violent cartoons are OK for children of all ages.
AGREE
DISAGREE
7. It’s good for children to watch TV news because it’s real
life.
AGREE
DISAGREE
8. TV violence only hurts young children.
AGREE
DISAGREE
9. Parents can not / should not control the programs
children watch.
AGREE
DISAGREE
10.
The older the child, the less are they
affected by viewing TV violence.
AGREE
DISAGREE
Global Questions
Skim the article and answer the following questions.
1. How does the writer answer the question in paragraph 1?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. The article can be divided to 3 parts. Fill in a description of each part:
Paragraph(s)
Para.1
Main idea
Para. 2-7
Para. 8
3. In paragraphs 2-5 the writer reorts on three different groups of studies on
viewing TV violence and its effects. Complete the following table with
information on each group of studies reported:
Group of
studies
Group 1
Type of studies
Names of
researchers
Who were the
subjects
Group 2
Group 3
4. What is the relationship between paragraph 6 and the preceding
paragraphs? Circle the correct answer:
a. Par. 6 presents the final stage of the process described in pars. 2-5.
b. Par. 6 adds another aspect of the issue investigated in pars. 2-5.
c. a. Par. 6 compares and contrasts the ideas presented in pars. 2-5.
d. a. Par. 6 summarizes the research presented in pars. 2-5.
5. Why does the writer suggest that we should be cautious about accepting
the evidence presented in the article?
a.
______________________________________________________________
b.
______________________________________________________________
Close Reading Questions
6a. List 2 differences between the study in para. 2 and the first study in
para. 3.
(i)
___________________________________________________________
(ii)
___________________________________________________________
b. What
was
similar
about
these
studies?
________________________________________________________
7. Fill in the blanks to show the difference between the findings of
Liebert's studies and those of Josephson.
Liebert's studies suggest that ____________________ can b affected by
watching
violence
while
Josephson's
study
suggests
that
_____________________ will be affected by watching violence.
8. Why does the author describe the evidence in paragraph 4 as "more
convincing" than the previously cited evidence?
______________________________________________________________
9.
What do the findings of long-term co relational studies suggest? Fill in
the blanks and circle the correct answer in the following sentence:
If an individual watches ___________________________ as a child, he will
become more ___________________________as an adult. Moreover, the
correlation between these two variables dissipates / become stronger over
years.
10.
What factor indicates that the influence of media violence is cumulative
over time?
______________________________________________________________
11.
What is the main idea of paragraph 6? Complete the following
sentence:
According to par. 6 ___________________________ can have similar effects
as simply watching violent programs.
12.
Complete the following sentence according to paragraph 7.
Adults who refrain from aggressive play will be MORE / LESS likely to engage
in harmful acts of aggression. This SUPPORTS / CONTRADICTS the idea
that there is a STRONG/ WEAK relationship between play aggression and
real aggression.
Vocabulary Exercises
Find synonyms for the following words in the text:
Paragraph 1
1. unchanging, regular - _________________________
2. help to cause; donate - ________________________
3. in agreement with - ___________________________ (also para. 8)
Paragraph 2
4. seeing and noticing - __________________________
5. be present and see - __________________________
6. get/obtain - _________________________________
Paragraph 3
7. later / following - _____________________________
8. a part (of a book/film etc.) - _____________________
9. estimate / assess (on a scale) - __________________ (also para. 5)
10. take part in something / be busy with something - _________________
11. increase / add to; improve - _____________________
Paragraph 4
12. strong influence - _____________________________
13. open / evident - ______________________________
Paragraph 5
14. something that can change according to conditions (in research) _____________
15. increasing by additions - _________________________
16. variety / extent - ________________________________
Paragraph 8
17.
reasonable; medium - __________________________