This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Comstock, G. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

A Sociological Perspective on Television Violence and Aggression

Syracuse University, New York

A sociological interpretation of the empirical outcomes of studies on violent media draws the debate out beyond the realm of individual psychological effects and identifies pertinent social groupings that go beyond socioeconomic status. Five attributes identify special vulnerability to negative influence: predisposition for aggressive or antisocial behavior, rigid or indifferent parenting, unsatisfactory social relationships, low psychological well-being, or having been diagnosed as suffering from DBDs—disruptive behavior disorders. Interpretation of effect sizes derived from seven meta-analyses encompassing different forms of media violence and resultant different varieties of aggressive and antisocial behavior supports a robust hypothesis of media influence. Causation, implied by outcomes of pooled experimental and survey designs, is consistent across these aggregations. The media take up a role as oppressors of an underclass with limited access to opportunities for improvement.

Key Words: quantitative aggregations • interpretation of meta-analyses • inferring causation • antisocial behavior • interpersonal aggression • television violence effects

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Grimes and L. Bergen The Epistemological Argument Against a Causal Relationship Between Media Violence and Sociopathic Behavior Among Psychologically Well Viewers American Behavioral Scientist, April 1, 2008; 51(8): 1137 - 1154. [Abstract] [PDF]