Media violence Research findings

Paik & Comstock The effects of television violence on antisocial behavior: A meta-analysis

1963 Two classic experiments Bandura, Ross and Ross Berkowitz and Rawlings

Bandura, Ross & Ross Subjects: Nursery school children Manipulation: Exposed to portrayals of 1) ordinary adults; and 2) person costumed as a cartoon character acting violently Outcome: Aggressive behavior when allowed to play freely with toys

Berkowitz & Rawlings Subjects: College students Manipulation: Exposure to film portrayal of a boxing match and perceived loser as deserving punishment for earlier antisocial behavior Outcome: Expressed greater hostility toward someone who had angered them

Paik & Comstock looked at 217 empirical studies from These studies yielded 1,142 hypothesis tests.

Overall effect size Nrr2r2 Male viewers All observations Experimental designs Surveys Female viewers All observations Experimental designs Surveys

Overall effect size by age Nrr2r2 Preschool Adult

Experimental effect size by age Nrr2r2 Preschool Adult

Survey effect size by age Nrr2r2 Preschool Adult

Effect size by research method Nrr2r2 All observations1, Experimental designs Laboratory experiment Field experiment Time-series studies Surveys

Effect sizes by program characteristics Nrr2r2 Violent program v. other Violent-erotica v. other Erotic program v. other

Program type Nrr2r2 Cartoon/fantasy program Excerpts/behavioral demo Pornography/erotica Sport show Action/adventure/crime News/public affairs Western

Treatment type Nrr2r2 Violent program—entire Violent program—excerpts Behavioral demonstration

Program portrayal condition: viewer left in state of unresolved excitement Nrr2r2 Yes No

Viewer identifies with perpetrator, setting, and weapon Nrr2r2 Yes No

Antisocial behavior rewarded Nrr2r2 Yes No

Portrayal justifies antisocial behavior Nrr2r2 Yes No

Television exposure measure Nrr2r2 Amount of tv viewing Expressed preference Violent program viewing

Types of aggressive behavior Nrr2r2 All simulated aggressive behavior Intensity of using aggressive machines/self-report of intent Plays with aggressive toys Unclassified simulated aggressive behavior

Minor aggressive behavior Nrr2r2 All observations combined Physical violence against an object Verbal aggression Physical violence against a person (not illegal)

Illegal activities Nrr2r2 All observations combined Burglary Grand theft Physical violence against a person (homicide, suicide, stabbing, etc.)

UW study on race and violence The subjects in the studies, who were instructed to shoot only when the human targets in the game were armed, made more errors when confronted by images of black men carrying objects like cellphones or cameras than when faced with similarly unarmed white men. The participants, who in all but one study were primarily white, were also quicker to fire on black men with guns than on white men with guns.