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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Lukesch was to examine empirical evidence showing a "causal" relationship between watching video violence and being involved in aggressive behavior.
METHODOLOGY:
This study addressed three major criticisms which have developed about the existing research literature linking media violence to actual aggressive behavior: the validity of operationalizing the concept of aggression; the limited ecological validity of experimental designs; the unknown causations in field studies. This study involved a subsample of 807 randomly chosen teenagers from a larger cross-sectional survey measuring the media use of 4089 teenagers. This subsample was chosen from the three main types of German schools and consisted of: 15% from German secondary schools, 29% from junior technical schools and 56% from elementary school; 27.3% from seventh-grade, 37.2% from eighth-grade and 34.3% from ninth-grade; 48.3% were boys and 51.7% were girls; 13.7% were upper middle class, 32.2% were middle class, 40.6% were lower middle class and 13.5% were lower class. Participants filled questionnaires involving a scale for measurement of spontaneous aggression (how often they were involved in certain aggressive behaviors), a scale for measurement of reactive aggression (in what situations would they use aggression), and scales rating how often subjects' self-reported watching different movies, videos and television series. The methodological problem involving to impossibility of controlling for past aggressive behavior of subjects was discussed. The data was analyzed using correlations and a nonrecursive model utilizing two stage least-square methods.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Both sex and level of education of the subjects were significantly correlated with the three measures of violent media and two measures of aggressive behavior; social status was significantly correlated to the measures of media violence but not to levels of aggression; the three measures of media violence were all positively and significantly correlated to the aggressive behavior measures. Using a nonrecursive model with a two stage least-square method, it was argued that "causal" relationships between violence viewing and aggression could be measured. Video violence had a significant and positive influence on aggressive behavior while the inverse relationship was significantly negative. In other words, video violence seemed to have impacted aggressive behavior instead of aggressive teenagers self-selecting violent video watching. The relationships between violent television and violent movies were somewhat similar but not as strong or clear.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The author suggested from his findings that video consumption may be a more powerful and more violent influence on the aggressive behavior of teenagers than television and movies. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Countries Other Than USA
KW - Germany
KW - Media Factors
KW - Media Violence Effects
KW - Aggression Causes
KW - Juvenile Aggression
KW - Early Adolescence
KW - Juvenile Female
KW - Female Aggression
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Male Aggression
KW - Film Violence
KW - Television Viewing
KW - Television Violence |