Effect of TV and Video Game Violence on Human Behavior

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In recent years, children are exposed to violent behaviors at a significantly young age and as a result, the effects of media violence on aggression, and other antisocial behaviors, may be greater in children than in adults (Bushman & Anderson, 001). Similarly, Anderson and Dill (001) state that repeated exposure to violent video games and television appears to affect aggression in children. In this study, Anderson and Dill found that video game play was positively related to increases in aggressive behavior. Furthermore, this study states "video games provide a complete learning environment for aggression, with simultaneous exposure to modeling, reinforcement, and rehearsal of behavior. Researchers of both studies demonstrate that learning often occurs through imitation, and copying what is seen in the media, often contributes to unhealthy outcomes among children and adolescents. According to social learning theory (Encarta, 000) people acquire aggressive responses either by direct experience or by observing others. Two basic principals are involved in observational learning, acquisition and performance. Acquisition describes the response by which the behavior is learned through observation. Performance is the process by which the observer acts out the learned response. Acquisition of a behavior however, does not automatically lead to performance. An alternative way of presenting this is that children learn new violent behavior by encoding and retrieval of scripts for aggression (Huesmann et al.)

However, the idea that violent media has a causal effect on violent behavior is not without opposition. There have been two major criticisms that question the validity of applying effects found in laboratory studies to the real world ( Ferguson, 00; Freedman, 184). Both, Ferguson and Freedman argued that laboratory research may tell little about the effect that violent media has in the real world, and gave reason why the results of experimental research can't generalize to situations outside the laboratory. First, the measurements that were used to measure aggression have nothing to do with aggression; in the laboratory, measurements are usually only analogous of aggression. Second, the problem of almost all experiments was the experimenter's demands. In support of Ferguson and Freedman critiques, a study conducted by Sherry (000) cumulates findings of existing empirical research and suggests that there is a small effect of video game play on aggression. Sherry argues that the effect is smaller than the effect of violent television on aggression.

Far more studies however, reported results that playing violent video games and watching violent television have negative consequences. A survey study conducted by Anderson and Dill (000) found that time spent playing video games was positively related to delinquent behavior. Another study conducted by Huesmann et al. (00) examined the longitudinal relations between TV-violence, viewing at ages 6 to 10 and adult aggressive behavior about 15 years later, for a sample growing up in the 170's and 180's. The interview data of participants adds empirical evidence that the effects of childhood exposure to media violence increase aggressive behavior during young adulthood. Overall, the results of these studies do not point clearly whether viewing violence contributes to the likelihood that someone will commit violence.

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Running head TELEVISION AND VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE

Effect of TV and Video Game Violence on Aggressive Behavior

Mitka Kirilova

Northeastern Illinois University

The belief that violent media has an effect on human behavior is not a new one. There has been a growing concern about the impact of violence on television and video games on children's attitudes and behaviors (Bushman & Anderson). Researchers have conducted numerous studies examining the causes of aggression in children, and all have come to the same conclusion that viewing violence increases aggression (e. g., Anderson & Bushman, 001; Anderson & Dill, 000; Bartholow & Anderson, 00; Bushman & Anderson, 001; Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, & Eron, 00). One possible reason for the interest in a link between media violence and aggression is that violent crimes conducted by children and adolescents in the past years in the United States have increased dramatically.

In recent years, children are exposed to violent behaviors at a significantly young age and as a result, the effects of media violence on aggression, and other antisocial behaviors, may be greater in children than in adults (Bushman & Anderson, 001). Similarly, Anderson and Dill (001) state that repeated exposure to violent video games and television appears to affect aggression in children. In this study, Anderson and Dill found that video game play was positively related to increases in aggressive behavior. Furthermore, the results of Anderson and Dill study show that video games provide a complete learning environment for aggression, with simultaneous exposure to modeling, reinforcement, and rehearsal of behavior. In fact, the researchers of both studies demonstrate that learning often occurs through imitation, and copying what is seen in the media, often contributes to unhealthy outcomes among children and adolescents. According to social learning theory (Encarta, 000) people acquire aggressive responses either by direct experience, or by observing others. Two basic principals are involved in observational learning, acquisition and performance. Acquisition describes the response by which the behavior is learned through observation. Performance is the process by which the observer acts out the learned response. Acquisition of a behavior however, does not automatically lead to performance. An alternative way of presenting this is that children learn new violent behavior by encoding and retrieval of scripts for aggression (Huesmann et al.)

However, the idea that violent media has a causal effect on violent behavior is not without opposition. There have been two major criticisms that question the validity of applying effects found in laboratory studies to the real world ( Ferguson, 00; Freedman, 184). Both, Ferguson and Freedman argued that laboratory research may tell little about the effect that violent media has in the real world, and gave reason why the results of experimental research can't generalize to situations outside the laboratory. First, the measurements that were used to measure aggression have nothing to do with aggression; in the laboratory, measurements are usually only analogous of aggression. Second, the problem of almost all experiments was the experimenter's demands. In support of Ferguson and Freedman critiques, a study conducted by Sherry (000) cumulates findings of existing empirical research and suggests that there is a small effect of video game play on aggression. Sherry argues that the effect is smaller than the effect of violent television on aggression.

Far more studies however, reported results that playing violent video games and watching violent television have negative consequences. A combined experimental and correlational study conducted by Anderson and Dill (000) found that time spent playing video games in real life is correlated with aggressive behavior and delinquency. The results of both phases of this video games increased aggressive thoughts and behavior in both men and women.

In addition to the link that television and video games violence have on increased aggression in children, another negative effect has been proposed. Violent acts on video games may lead to desensitization of emotional response to viewing aggression (Anderson & Murphy, in press; Bartholow & Anderson, 000). Desensitization occurs when an emotional response is repeatedly evoked in and could lead to acceptance of aggression as an adaptive coping mechanism (Encarta, 000). Huesmann et al. (00) argue that violence and subsequent aggression is due more to cognitive and emotional desensitization to violence than to observational learning. In addition, (Huesmann et al. 00; Anderson & Murphy, in press; Bartholow & Anderson, 000) point out that television and video games violence can make children more accepting of aggressive behavior and they may become desensitized to the effects of violence through habituation.

While most of the psychological research has shown that viewing violent media increases aggression, few studies have shown that playing video games may be beneficial. A study conducted by Kestenbaum and Weinstein (185) found that video games had calming effect on the 08 subjects that they surveyed. Differences in outcome measures used across the studies create treats to the validity of these studies (Sherry, 001; Freedman, 184). Sherry and Freedman argue that studies used a variety of measurers of aggression ranging from actual behavior (aggression during free play) to paper and pencil measures of aggressive behavior. That's why it is difficult to conclude the observed findings support the evidence that television and video games represent a danger to society.

No matter what critiques of violence research say, evidence exist in studies supporting observational learning, as a cause of aggressive behavior after viewing violent videos or violent video games. Huesmann et al. (00) examined the longitudinal relations between TV-violence, viewing at ages 6 to 10 and adult aggressive behavior about 15 years later, for a sample growing up in the 170's and 180's. The interview data of participants adds empirical evidence that the effects of childhood exposure to media violence increase aggressive behavior during young adulthood.

Huesmann et al. (00) study was a follow up of the 177 longitudinal study of 557 children growing up in the Chicago area. The experimenters tracked down of the original boys and girls 15 years later where they were in their 0's. Through searches of driver's license and criminal justice records researchers obtained data on 450 of the original 557 participants, but only participated in the study.. Locating the original participants took two years. Interviews were conducted at the University of Illinois in Chicago, and each participant completed a questionnaire on a computer alone in a small room. In addition to the interviews with the participants of the study, the researchers interviewed their spouses, their parents, and their friends. Participants were paid $50 and others $0 for completing the interview. Huesmann and his colleagues (00) indicate that boys' reports of how often they watched violent television shows and played violent video games predicted the rates of criminal offenses in young adulthood.

Overall, the results of these studies do not point clearly whether viewing violence contributes to the likelihood that someone will commit violence. The main drawback of correlational studies is the inability to infer causation (Bloom, 00). Bloom argues that media violence studies lack practical significance. In his analysis of Bushman and Anderson (001) study, Bloom suggests that media violence may not be the cause of violent behavior. Bloom also suggests psychologists should not ignore small correlations and must shift their focus on causes such family structure, poverty, and abuse on children who engage in violent behavior. Other critiques (Fefguson, 00; Freedman, 184) argue that relationship could work the other way; the violent behavior could have caused a preference for violent television and playing violent video games.

Social learning theory manages successfully to address these criticisms as a major single theory used to explain the influence of violent programs on children's levels of aggression (Bushman & Anderson, 001). Bushman and Anderson addressed the critiques of Bloom and Ferguson in one of the issues of American Psychologist. They believe that these criticisms may come from misunderstanding and misreading of empirical research. However there was no such article to address the other critiques.

Even though I found convincing research articles on media violence, the most prominent proponent of social learning theory is Albert Bandura. The social learning theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others (Encarta, 000). Findings of many studies illustrated that children are more likely to model behavior if they identified themselves with the model and if the model had an admired status (Anderson & Dill, 000; Bushman & Anderson, 001).

However, few of the studies found apparent gender differences. Overall these studies suggest that both males and females from all social strata and all levels of aggressiveness are placed at increased risk for the development of aggressive and violent behavior (Anderson & Dill, 000; Bartholow & Anderson, 001; Huesmann et al. 00). Only one of the empirical studies (Huesmann et al.) found that intellectual ability and parents' education did seem to account for some of the effect of female participants. The same study found in the past that variety of parenting factors was related to child's aggression and later aggression, and many of these correlations were again found at least in one gender. Most of the studies however agree that the results of their studies are modest, and the question about media violence remains to be resolved. Bartholow and Anderson (001) suggest that future research should consider examining more directly gender differences in aggressive style within a video game model. Huesmann and colleagues (00) suggest future research should be directed at testing the interventions that parents, schools, producers and government may promote. All of the researchers agree that scientists should pay monetary and personal cost associated with educating the public to provide travel money for the participants of the senate hearing (Anderson & Dill, 000; Anderson & Murphy, in press; Bartholow & Anderson, 000; Bushman & Anderson, 001; Huesmann et al.).

I tend to agree with both sides of the issue about violent media and aggression. Researchers who were concerned about the impact of violent media on human behavior have found correlation between media violence and aggression and shed some light for the future replications of their studies. On the other hand, the critiques pointed real problems in the methodology of the studies that may be a real treat for the validity of the results. However, both sides of the issue, researchers and critiques, agree that future research should focus on methodological part of the designs. Human communication research on the other hand suggests that psychologists need to develop new theories to acknowledge experimental and social differences between video game use and television viewing (Sherry, 001).

References

Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (00). Video games and aggressive thoughts,

feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and

Social Psychology, 78, 77-70.

Anderson, C. A., & Murphy, C. R. (in press). Effects of violent video games on

aggressive behavior in young women. Aggressive Behavior.

Bartholow, B. D., & Anderson, C. A. (000). Effects of violent video games on

aggressive behavior Potential sex differences. Journal of Experimental Social

Psychology, 8, 8-0.

Bloom, R. W. (00). On media violence Whose facts? Whose misinformation?

American Psychologist, 57, 448-450.

Encarta Enciclopedia online, 000.

Bushman, B. J., & Anderson, C. A. (001). Media violence and the American public.

American Psychologist, 56, 477-48.

Ferguson, C. J., (000). Media violence Miscast causality. American Psychologist, 57,

448-450.

Freedman, J. L. (184). Effect of television violence on aggressiveness. Psychological

Buletin, 6, 7-46.

Huesmann, R. L., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C., & Eron, L. D. (00). Longitudinal

relations between children's exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and

violent behavior in young adulthood 177-1. Developmental Psycholody, ,

01-1.

Kestenbaum, G. I., & Weinstein, L. (185). Personality, psychopathology, and

developmental issues in male adolescence video game use. Journal of the

American Academy of Child Pcyhiatry, 4, -7.

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