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Societies
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Understanding Media Violence Effects
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Understanding Media Violence Effects

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2013) | Viewed by 99751

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Barbara Krahé

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
Interests: aggression; social cognition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the growing body of research addressing the potentially harmful effects of exposure to violent media, current understanding of the short-term effects of using violent media and the long-term effects of habitual media violence exposure over time is limited in several ways. First, there is a shortage of longitudinal research examining the relational patterns of media violence use and aggression over time. Such evidence is crucial for examining hypotheses about the directionality of observed co-variations of media violence use and aggression. Second, most previous longitudinal studies have focused on aggression as the critical outcome variable, paying less attention to other negative outcomes, such as a potential decrease in prosocial behavior. Regarding short-term effects, further experimental evidence is required to identify the psychological processes underlying the effects of media violence exposure on aggression and other domains of social behavior. This Special Issue seeks to bring together a set of papers that analyze the role of cognitive, affective, and physiological responses to violent media stimuli in explaining pathways from violent media exposure to aggression and related negative outcomes in other domains of social behavior, such as a decrease in empathy and prosocial behavior. Contributions are invited from all disciplines, including psychology, communication, media studies, sociology, and criminology, addressing media violence effects in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Papers should have a strong grounding in theory and use experimental or longitudinal methods to elucidate the processes by which exposure to violence in the media may increase aggression and decrease in empathy, helping, and other prosocial behaviors, both during short-term exposure and over extended periods of time.

Prof. Barbara Krahé
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • media violence
  • aggression
  • violence
  • aggressive cognitions
  • anger
  • arousal
  • prosocial behavior
  • empathy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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626 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Effects of Violent Media Usage on Aggressive Behavior—The Significance of Empathy
by Thomas Mößle, Sören Kliem and Florian Rehbein
Societies 2014, 4(1), 105-124; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc4010105 - 26 Feb 2014
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 14680
Abstract
The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption and aggressive behavior. Using a large longitudinal student sample, the role of empathy as a possible mediator of this relationship was of special interest. Data were drawn from [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the link between violent media consumption and aggressive behavior. Using a large longitudinal student sample, the role of empathy as a possible mediator of this relationship was of special interest. Data were drawn from wave three to five of the Berlin Longitudinal Study Media, a four-year longitudinal control group study with 1207 school children. Participants completed measures of media usage (violent content of TV and computer games), aggressive behavior perpetration, and empathy. The average age of participants was 10.4 years at Time 1 and 12.4 years at Time 3. Half of the study sample was male (50%). Trivariate structural equation modeling using three measurement times were conducted for assessing the role of empathy as a mediator of the longitudinal relationship between the usage of violent media content and aggressive behavior. For male students empathic skills were shown to unfold a key mediating role between problematic media usage and aggressive behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
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191 KiB  
Article
Catharsis and Media Violence: A Conceptual Analysis
by Douglas A. Gentile
Societies 2013, 3(4), 491-510; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3040491 - 13 Dec 2013
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 38346
Abstract
The concept that doing something to “vent” aggression as a method of reducing aggressive feelings and behaviors, such as watching media violence or playing violent video games, continues to enjoy widespread public support despite a lack of empirical support. This article describes the [...] Read more.
The concept that doing something to “vent” aggression as a method of reducing aggressive feelings and behaviors, such as watching media violence or playing violent video games, continues to enjoy widespread public support despite a lack of empirical support. This article describes the historical origins of the concept and examines how well these conceptions fit with the modern usage of the aggression catharsis hypothesis. It is argued that there are four primary flaws with the catharsis hypothesis. First, the metaphor underlying Freud, Breuer, and Lorenz’s conception of aggression is flawed. Aggression is not a drive. Second, although Aristotle did use the term catharsis with relation to violent media (plays and poetry), he did not mean that viewing media violence can purge the viewer of aggressive feelings or behaviors. Furthermore, he describes several detailed requirements of plot and character that must be followed if his type of catharsis is to be achieved, and modern media violence does not meet these requirements. Third, the empirical support is not only lacking, a large empirical base contradicts the catharsis hypothesis. This is seen both in studies attempting to demonstrate catharsis directly and in the broader media violence literature. Fourth, human neuroscience contradicts the catharsis hypothesis. Learning is not hindered by viewing something one more time—it is improved. Taken together, it appears that there is no possible way that the aggression catharsis hypothesis can be accurate. It nevertheless continues to “feel” correct at a phenomenological level, and the reasons for this are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
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199 KiB  
Article
Charging Neutral Cues with Aggressive Meaning through Violent Video Game Play
by Robert Busching and Barbara Krahé
Societies 2013, 3(4), 445-456; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3040445 - 12 Nov 2013
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 8517
Abstract
When playing violent video games, aggressive actions are performed against the background of an originally neutral environment, and associations are formed between cues related to violence and contextual features. This experiment examined the hypothesis that neutral contextual features of a virtual environment become [...] Read more.
When playing violent video games, aggressive actions are performed against the background of an originally neutral environment, and associations are formed between cues related to violence and contextual features. This experiment examined the hypothesis that neutral contextual features of a virtual environment become associated with aggressive meaning and acquire the function of primes for aggressive cognitions. Seventy-six participants were assigned to one of two violent video game conditions that varied in context (ship vs. city environment) or a control condition. Afterwards, they completed a Lexical Decision Task to measure the accessibility of aggressive cognitions in which they were primed either with ship-related or city-related words. As predicted, participants who had played the violent game in the ship environment had shorter reaction times for aggressive words following the ship primes than the city primes, whereas participants in the city condition responded faster to the aggressive words following the city primes compared to the ship primes. No parallel effect was observed for the non-aggressive targets. The findings indicate that the associations between violent and neutral cognitions learned during violent game play facilitate the accessibility of aggressive cognitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
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223 KiB  
Article
Biased Estimation of Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression: Contributing Factors and Boundary Conditions
by Jens Bender, Tobias Rothmund and Mario Gollwitzer
Societies 2013, 3(4), 383-398; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3040383 - 25 Oct 2013
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 9226
Abstract
In order to improve the understanding of media violence effects, it is crucial to extend knowledge about factors that threaten the validity of such effects in empirical research. Research artifacts can be expected when participants are (a) aware of a scientist’s hypothesis, (b) [...] Read more.
In order to improve the understanding of media violence effects, it is crucial to extend knowledge about factors that threaten the validity of such effects in empirical research. Research artifacts can be expected when participants are (a) aware of a scientist’s hypothesis, (b) motivated to confirm or disconfirm the hypothesis, and (c) capable of manipulating their responses in line with their motivation. Based on social identity theory (SIT) and self-categorization theory (SCT), we assumed that identifying with the social group of video game players would provide a motivation to disconfirm the “violent video games increase aggression” hypothesis. We further assumed that the use of nontransparent aggression measures and cover stories would prevent research artifacts. Our results showed that highly identified (compared to lowly identified) players of video games reported less aggression on a transparent aggression measure but not on a nontransparent aggression measure. However, providing participants with a cover story did not prevent hypothesis awareness nor eliminate hypothesis-disconfirming response patterns. These results provide empirical support for the ideas that (a) motivational factors may contribute to a biased estimation of media violence effects, (b) cover stories may not always be effective, and (c) the use of nontransparent aggression measures can provide a valid methodological approach for avoiding biases in media effects research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
2446 KiB  
Article
Adolescent Callous-Unemotional Traits Mediates the Longitudinal Association between Conduct Problems and Media Violence Exposure
by Kostas. A. Fanti, Maria-Zoe Hadjicharalambous and Evita Katsimicha
Societies 2013, 3(3), 298-315; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3030298 - 16 Sep 2013
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7514
Abstract
The current study investigates the bidirectional longitudinal association between conduct problems (CPs) and media violence exposure (MVE), with callous-unemotional (CU) traits as a potential mediator of this association. The sample consisted of 1,451 (49.9% boys) Greek Cypriot adolescents. CPs and MVE were measured [...] Read more.
The current study investigates the bidirectional longitudinal association between conduct problems (CPs) and media violence exposure (MVE), with callous-unemotional (CU) traits as a potential mediator of this association. The sample consisted of 1,451 (49.9% boys) Greek Cypriot adolescents. CPs and MVE were measured at Year 1 and Year 3 and CU traits were measured at Year 2, enabling the examination of longitudinal associations and indirect effects between these variables. A bidirectional association between CPs and MVE was identified. Further, both CPs and MVE at Year 1 were positively associated with Year 2 CU traits, and youth high on CU traits at Year 2 were more likely to exhibit CP behaviors and to be exposed to media violence at Year 3. Finally, two indirect pathways were identified, suggesting that the longitudinal bidirectional association between CPs and MVE was partially mediated by CU traits. These findings suggest that CU traits constitute an underlying mechanism explaining the longitudinal association between CPs and MVE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
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221 KiB  
Article
Double Dose: High Family Conflict Enhances the Effect of Media Violence Exposure on Adolescents’ Aggression
by Karin M. Fikkers, Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, Wouter D. Weeda, Helen G. M. Vossen and Patti M. Valkenburg
Societies 2013, 3(3), 280-292; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3030280 - 5 Jul 2013
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 19503
Abstract
We investigated how exposure to media violence and family conflict affects adolescents’ subsequent aggressive behavior. We expected a double dose effect, meaning that high media violence exposure would lead to higher levels of aggression for adolescents in high conflict families compared to low [...] Read more.
We investigated how exposure to media violence and family conflict affects adolescents’ subsequent aggressive behavior. We expected a double dose effect, meaning that high media violence exposure would lead to higher levels of aggression for adolescents in high conflict families compared to low conflict families. A total of 499 adolescents (aged 10 to 14, 48% girls) participated in a two-wave longitudinal survey (4-month interval). Survey questions assessed their exposure to violence on television and in electronic games, family conflict, and aggressive behavior. Analyses revealed a significant interaction between media violence and family conflict. In families with higher conflict, higher media violence exposure was related to increased subsequent aggression. This study is the first to show a double dose effect of media violence and family conflict on adolescents’ aggression. These findings underscore the important role of the family in shaping the effects of adolescents’ media use on their social development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Media Violence Effects)
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