Psychological Warfare: The Media and Relational Aggression among Female College Students Rebecca M. Goldberg University of Florida April 27, 2009

Rationale for the Study The purpose of this study was to:  Establish the presence of relational aggression among female college students.  Examine how cultural and environmental factors affect the presence of relational aggression, including ethnicity, media habits, relationship quality, and female community membership.

Research Hypotheses The following hypotheses were tested in this study:  Ho1: There is no significant relationship between types of exposure to mass media and female college students’ perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends.  Ho2: There is no significant relationship between amount of exposure to mass media and female college students’ perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends.

Research Hypotheses  Ho3: There is no significant relationship between female college students’ perceptions of friendship quality and their perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends.  Ho4: There is no significant relationship between female college students’ ethnicity and their perceptions of friends’ relationally aggressive behaviors.  Ho5: There is no significant relationship between college females’ community membership and their perceptions of friends’ relationally aggressive behaviors.

Methodology  Population: Degree-seeking female undergraduates age 18+ enrolled at UF during the academic year  Sample: 202 female students ages  Sampling Procedures: Professors of undergraduate classes were ed the surveys and asked to forward them to their female students, who completed them via Survey Monkey

Analyses  Bivariate analyses  Research hypotheses 1, 4, and 5 were examined using analyses of variance  Research hypotheses 2 and 3 were examined using correlation  All research hypotheses were analyzed using SAS at a.05 significance level

Results RQ1: What is the relationship between types of exposure to mass media and female college students’ perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends?  Television: F(6,192) =.430, p =.856  Movies: F(5,192) =.850, p =.519  Internet: F(5,196) =.550, p =.740  Magazines: F(5,175) = 1.280, p =.274

Results RQ2: What is the relationship between amount of exposure to mass media and female college students’ perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends?  r =.057, p =.419 RQ3: What is the relationship between female college students’ perceptions of the quality of their friendships with one another and female college students’ perceptions of relationally aggressive behaviors among their female college friends?  r = -.294, p <.0001

Results RQ4: Does female college students’ ethnicity predict their perceptions of friends’ relationally aggressive behaviors?  F(5,196) =.270, p =.928 RQ5: Does college females’ community membership predict their perceptions of friends’ relationally aggressive behaviors?  F(4,197) = 1.680, p =.157

Discussion Limitations  Research design: nonprobability, convenience sampling with voluntary participation  Large discrepancy between number of individuals who started the survey (N = 265) and number who completed it (N = 202)

Implications for Education and Practice  Eco-systemic approach via curricular infusion is recommended for counselor education  College counselors would benefit from training in relational aggression  Media examples can be used with clients to identify relational aggression and strategize ways to deflect its damage

Future Directions for Research  Technological advances in relational aggression (i.e., cyberbullying)  Social popularity and peer acceptance associated with perpetrators of relationally aggressive behaviors  Biracial/multiracial individuals’ experience of relational aggression

Thank you! Questions and Comments?