media Ao3

• One strength is that social learning theory is a convincing theoretical framework. Anderson et al. note that we accept that exposure to aggression at home is harmful, so logically media are important sources of social learning. Children are more likely to imitate aggressive behaviours when they see them recorded, rewarded, especially when children identify with on-screen characters, this is a key feature of science, having a unifying explanation to account for findings.
• Another limitation is the many unsupported conclusions. Many studies are methodologically weak, for example confounding variables, and meta-analyses sometimes include poor quality studies. Many studies are correlational and do not show cause and effect, and the experimental studies lack external validity with unrealistic measures of aggression, so it cannot be generalized. Therefore, some researchers may be guilty of drawing premature conclusions based on findings that lack validity.
• One limitation is that aggression is defined in various ways. It is operationalised as a violent behaviour, volume of white noise, criminal convictions. But although all violence is aggression, not all aggression is violence and not all aggression or violence is necessarily criminal. The effects depend on definitions.
• This variation in definitions means that the findings of studies are hard to compare. However, meta-analyses help overcome this. For example, Anderson et al. included 136 studies using different definitions and found increases in aggression linked to violent computer games. Therefore, meta-analyses that can include various definitions of aggression are a valid method for uncovering the effects of media on aggression.