New Forms of Media Violence

Although the relationship between media violence exposure (MVE) and aggression has been thoroughly explored and confirmed, a recent sociological study conducted by Douglas Gentile, Lindsay Mathieson, and Nicki Crick attempt to further expound on the effects of MVE in relation to childhood and teenage aggression. In doing so, this study delineates between different subtypes of aggression – proactive and reactive physical aggression (PA) and relational aggression (RA). This study nuance the discussion to not only identify forms of aggression but also to recognize the predictors of aggression, which may allow professionals to understand the mechanisms that propel aggression in adolescents, such as exposure to media and the parents' responsibility for monitoring it. 

Before an analysis of the study’s results is offered, it is important to define the specific terms that are used throughout the study. PA and RA are divided into two different types, reactive and proactive. Reactive aggression is classified as impulsive and involuntary while proactive aggression “is defined as behavior that is deliberate, goal-oriented, reinforced and often associated with a lack of arousal or emotion” (Gentile, Mathieson, & Crick, 2011, p. 215). PA and RA differ with respect to their execution. PA involves physically harming another individual; RA includes inflicting harm to others through manipulative and controlling relationships. The majority of studies that link MVE with aggressive behavior primarily focus on PA. This study, however, strives to emphasize the correlation between MVE and RA. 

Gentile and his associates (2011) discuss the psychological encoding, or “scripts” (p. 215), that are learned when a single violent or aggressive event is watched, and they posit that, as children and teenagers have recurring exposure to these scenes, certain specific and general behaviors are learned and reinforced. This is evidenced in the change in children's' behavior from 50 years ago when there was less exposure. Furthermore, studies of aggression have established that, as scenes of aggression are repeatedly viewed, adolescents can more easily retrieve these scripts and react in an analogous manner along with the encoded script. These reactions will always vary according to the specific situation and the adolescent who is involved, but it is clear that MVE provides children with a blueprint in which they can adhere to. 

As Gentile, Mathieson, and Crick conducted their study, they found that gender was a significant determinant of which type of aggression is demonstrated in adolescents. Young boys were primarily seen exhibiting PA throughout the study while young girls most often engaged in RA. The long-term effects of MVE were also troubling; “exposure to television violence during childhood was associated with indirect aggression (a similar construct to RA) 15 years later, but only for women” (Gentile et al., 2011, p. 217).  Although this study was able to reveal a correlation between MVE and the subtypes of aggression, the authors admittedly claim, “Although most (but not all) of the results support the theoretical predictions, this study should be replicated before any strong conclusions could be drawn about MVE and aggression subtypes” (Gentile et al., 2011, p. 230). This comment does not damage the veracity of the study; it only calls for cautioned conclusions. 

As our group reviewed this study, we began to reflect on its implications as they relate to not just violent forms of aggression, but also the forms of RA that are ubiquitous throughout the media, especially television. Parents and professionals, along with being concerned about accessibility to violent media, must also consider the exposure adolescents have to the forms of media that contain RA, and it seems many television shows and movies expose children to both. If adolescents are given “scripts” that encode manipulative and controlling behavior into their psyche, then the short and long-term effects present an entirely new subset of problems that parents and professionals must confront.

Reference

Gentile, D., Mathieson, L., & Crick, N. (2011). Media violence associations with the form and function of aggression among elementary school children. Social Development, 20(2), 213-232.