CORRELATION EXISTS BETWEEN
MEDIA VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION
Sara K. Senkbeil
CONSTRUCTS
 What
is a Correlation?
Magnitude of linear relation between 2 variables measured by
correlation coefficient r; range from -1 to 1 with 0 indicating no
relationship
Small correlation + .1; Medium + .3; Large + .5
(Cohen, 1988)

What
is Media Violence ?
Depictions of “acts of physical aggression by one human or
human-like character against another”(Huesmann, 2007, p.2)
Includes violence in film, TV, video games, radio(lyrics), internet,
etc.

What
Acts
is Aggression?
intended to harm or irritate another person
E.g. Physical and Verbal Aggression

Hostile
or destructive mental attitude
E.g. Aggressive Affect, Aggressive Thoughts

RELATIONSHIP OF MEDIA VIOLENCE WITH
AGGRESSION

Small to moderate positive correlation across different
methodologies, media types, and cultures.
Experiments

Exposing people to violent media in the laboratory increases
likelihood of aggressive behavior and aggressive cognition/affect
immediately afterwards.
Bushman (1995)-college students

DVs:

Aggressive Behavior (intensity of noise blasts set for opponent in
reaction time task)
Aggressive Affect (rating of hostile adjectives)

Findings



Participants who watched violent video gave “opponent”
significantly more intense noise blasts on first reaction time trial
(unprovoked aggression)and all remaining trials (provoked
aggression)and reported higher levels of aggressive affect than
participants who viewed the non-violent video.
Significant positive correlation (p<.004; r=.20)between amount of
time participants reported watching violent TV programs and
intensity of noise blasts given to “opponent”.
Study
Bjorkqvist (1985)
Josephson (1987)
Population
5-6 yr old Finnish children
7-9yr old boys
Irwin & Gross (1995) 7-8 yr old boys
Media
Film
TV
DVs
Physical Aggression
Physical Aggression
Video Game Object Aggression
Physical Aggression
Anderson et al. (2003) College students
Music
(Lyrics)
Aggressive Affect (State
Hostility)
Aggressive Cognition
(Word Ratings)
Fischer et al. (2010)
18-47 yr old German students Video Game
Aggression (Dose of Hot
Sauce)
Findings
Children watched violent
film were significantly more
physically assaultive
Boys watched violent TV
had significantly more
assaultive behavior during
group play
Boys played violent game
were significantly more
aggressive towards objects
in free play
""greater interpersonal
aggression towards peers
during frustrating situation
Violent song produced
significantly higher levels of
state hostility
Violent song led to
significantly higher
aggressiveness ratings for
ambiguous words
Ss played violent game
administered significantly
more hot sauce for next
participant
Ss played violent game with
personalized character
administered highest doses
NOTABLE EXPERIMENT
Bartholow et al. (2006)

Collected event-related brain potential data (ERPs) while
violent and non-violent video game users rated the
valence of violent, non-violent negative, and neutral
pictures.

Participants then completed competitive reaction time
task (aggression defined as intensity and duration of
noise blasts)

Findings:
P300 amplitudes to violent images decreased as a function of
VVGE
 Smaller P300 amplitudes were significantly associated with
higher levels of aggression
 Greater VVGE, more aggressed against “opponent”

LONGITUDINAL DESIGNS

Eron et al. (1972) [N=427; 8yrs to 19yrs age]
Significant relation (r=.31) b/t boys initial TVVL and peer-rated
aggression later
 Initial TVVL best predictor of later aggression (r=0.29 standardized)




Huesmann et al. (2003) [N=329; 6-10yrs to adult]
Greater childhood exposure to TVV, greater identification with
same-sex aggressive TV characters, and stronger belief that violent
shows reflect norms predicted greater adult aggression for both
males and females regardless of how aggressive participants were
as children. (0.15 < r < 0.21)
Möller & Krahé (2009) [N=149 German adolescents; 30 month
period]
META-ANALYSES
Study
Studies; Participants Media Violence
Effect Size
Findings
Anderson & Bushman
(2001)
K=33; N=3033
Video Games
r=0.19
r=0.27
r=0.18
VVGE positively
correlated with
aggressive behavior,
aggressive cognition,
and aggressive affect
Ferguson (2007)
K=25; N=4205
Video Games
r+=0.15
Corrected for
"publication bias",
positive correlation
between VGVE and
aggressive behavior
Savage & Yancey
(2008)
K=20; 17,094
Media Violence
(general)
r=0.164
r=0.118
r=0.102 (overall)
Anderson et al. (2010)
K=136; N=130,296
Video Games
0.140 < r < .168
0.098 < r <0.143
0.106< r < 0.141
MVE positively
correlated with criminal
aggression in
correlational,
longitudinal studies,
and overall studies
sig. positive
correlations between
VVGE and aggressive
behavior, aggressive
affect, and aggressive
cognition
significant negative
correlations between
VVGE and empathy
and prosocial behavior
'0.150< r < '0.102
'0.113 < r < 0.066
HOW/WHY DO EFFECTS OCCUR?
GENERAL AGGRESSION MODEL (ANDERSON & BUSHMAN, 2002)
MAIN CRITICISMS

Freedman (1984; 1986)


Admits positive correlation exists, but denies that media violence
causes aggression
“It seems clear that children and adolescents who watch more violent programs
on television or who prefer violent programs tend to be more aggressive. The
bulk of the correlations fall between .10 and .20. Despite, considerable variability,
it seems accurate to conclude that the evidence indicates a positive correlation
between viewing television violence and aggression” (Freedman, 1984, p. 237).

Publication Bias (Ferguson, 2007)



“File Drawer Phenomenon” –only positive results included in meta-analyses
Anderson et al. (2010) applied “trim and fill” procedure advocated by Ferguson
and still found highly significant correlation (.140 < r < .168) mirroring
Ferguson’s own findings (r=0.15) between VME and aggressive behavior.
Moderating Third Variables

Vast majority of methodologies reviewed (especially recent) have
controlled for/ partialed out a variety of sources of moderating
variables (e.g. arousal, content, gender, trait aggressiveness, etc.) and
still found significant positive correlation between media violence and
aggression.
CONCLUSION

Despite media violence being an important factor leading
to aggression, it is not the only factor (Bushman & Anderson, 2001)

Overall, research suggests positive correlation between
media violence and aggression across methodologies,
media types, and cultures.
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