Citation

Anderson JA. Am. Behav. Sci. 2008; 51(8): 1260-1279.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0002764207312019

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study investigates the continuing production of media effects research that focuses on the media violence and aggression (MV/A) connection. It does so by analyzing the production trends and characteristics evidenced in an archive of 966 MV/A journal articles. The analysis found the archive marked by initiatives in governmental funding and private philanthropy, shifting disciplinary interests, cycles of editorial attention, and the economies of disciplinary authentication and professional legitimation. Analysis of the mainline arguments indicated a shift from an audience-activated effect to one in which the individual is an unwitting accomplice. Finally, the study showed that the continuing interest in media serves to deflect attention from much more serious (but much more costly to remedy) sources of aggression and to elevate the role of media to that same level of importance.