Media Influences : TV and Games

• TV viewing


  Robertson et al

  • Measured tv viewing hours in over 1000 New Zealanders in regular intervals up to 26 yrs old.
  • Time spent watching tv in adolescence was a predictor of aggressive behaviour in adulthood
  • Tv viewing = poorer social interaction and educational achievement
• Violent Film Content


  Bandura et al

  • Children watched a film of an adult behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll
  • The behaviour was imitated by the child
• TV/Film effects not strong

  Paik and Comstock

  • Meta analysis of 200 studies found a positive correlation between viewing tv/film violence and antisocial behaviour
  • But, they said that it only really accounts for 1-10% of variance in children's aggressive behaviour.
• Computer Games


  Said to have more powerful effects because:

  • Player takes an active role
  • Game-playing is more directly rewarding for player
• Computer Games : Research

  Bartholow and Anderson

  • Students played either a violent or non-violent game for 10 minutes
  • Then carried out the TCRTT to deliver blasts of white noise to punish a opponent.
  • Found those who played the violent game gave higher noise levels
• Eval : Weakness


  Ferguson and Kilburn found that in studied where aggression was measured, the link between media violence exposure and aggression was almost zero. This shows that there is a lack of support. and the link is not as strong as had been claimed.
• Eval : Weakness


  Aggression can be defined in various ways, in the research the DV varies from blasting white noise to criminal convictions. All violence is aggression but not all aggression is violence, or criminal. Suggests that studies are hard to compare.