Television Violence and its Effect on Viewers

Paper Summary:

This paper states that almost every American home has at least one TV and therefore it is extremely important to have quality, educational programs. The paper then discusses and examples the research suggesting a correlation between violent television, video games, and aggressive behavior in adults and children. The paper suggests that by being selective and aware of the television a child is watching, and also by mediating, it is possible to keep a child wholesome, happy, and considerate of others. The paper concludes that careful control of program selection has been proven to be effective.

From the Paper:

"Television violence concern officially started with the first of a series of congressional hearings in 1952. Early research spawned from these hearings did in fact show a reason for concern about violence in the media, particularly television (Baker & Ball, 1969). As a result of this information, the Surgeon General declared TV violence to be just like cigarette smoking, a public health problem. He released a report that showed evidence that violence on television influences some children by making them more likely to be aggressive in certain ways (Murray, 1973). Ten years later a follow up report on the Surgeon General's findings was performed. It concluded that, indeed, television violence does affect the aggressive behavior of children, and adults, too (National Institute of Mental Health, 1982). Another ten years passed and a report reconfirmed the harmful effects of TV violence (Huston, et al., 1992). Thirty years of research had shown three major affects. The first of these, direct effects process, states that children and adults who watch violence on television can become aggressive and/or they could develop favorable feelings about the use of aggression to solve conflicts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Psychological Association (1993). Violence & Youth: Psychology's Response. Volume I: Summary Report of the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
• Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, No. 4, 772-790.
• Baker, R. K., & Ball, S. J., (1969). Mass media and violence: A staff report to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. Washington, D. C.: United States Government Printing Office.
• Bushman, B. J., & Bonacci, A. M. (2002). Violence and sex impair memory for television ads. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, No. 3, 557-564.
• Eron, L. D., (1982). Parent child interaction, television violence and aggression of children. American Psychologist, 27, 197-211.

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