Research Catalog

Title

Media violence and its effect on aggression : assessing the scientific evidence / Jonathan L. Freedman.

Author

Freedman, Jonathan L.

Publication

Toronto ; Buffalo : University of Toronto Press, ©2002.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xi, 227 pages : illustrations; 23 cm

Summary

"In this work, Jonathan Freedman argues that the scientific evidence does not support the notion that exposure to TV and film violence causes aggression in children or adults. Based on his findings, far fewer than half of the scientific studies have found a causal connection between exposure to media violence and aggression or crime. In fact, Freedman believes that, taken to an extreme, the research could be interpreted as showing that there is no causal effect of media violence at all." "Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression offers a provocative challenge to popular wisdom and various public statements by professional and scientific organizations. Freedman begins with a comprehensive review of all the research on the effect of violent movies and television on aggression and crime. Having shown the lack of scientific support for the prevailing belief that media violence is connected to violent behaviour, he then explains why something that seems so intuitive and even obvious might be incorrect, and provides plausible reasons why media violence might not have bad effects on children. He contrasts the supposed effects of TV violence on crime with the known effects of poverty and other social factors." "Freedman concludes by noting that although in recent years television and films have been as violent as ever and violent video games have become more and more popular, there has been a dramatic decrease in violent crime. He argues that it is thus unlikely that media violence causes an increase in aggression or crime and that both increases and decreases in violent crime are the result of major social forces."--Jacket.

Subjects

• Gewaltdarstellung
• Kind
• Massenmedien
• Medienwirkungsforschung
• Aggressivität
• Agressivité chez l'enfant
• Violence dans les médias > Aspect psychologique
• Medienpsychologie > Kanada
• Medienpsychologie > USA
• Gewaltdarstellung > Kanada
• Gewaltdarstellung > USA
• Agressie
• Invloed
• Geweld
• Massamedia
• Violence in mass media > Psychological aspects
• Aggressiveness in children
• 05.30 mass communication and mass media: general

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-222) and index.

Contents

Villain or scapegoat? Media violence and aggression -- Method -- Survey research: are exposure to media and violence related? -- Laboratory experiments: controlled research in the laboratory -- Field experiments -- Longitudinal studies: the effect of early exposure to violent media on later aggression -- With and without television: comparing communities that have and do not have television -- Other approaches to assessing causality -- Desensitization: does exposure to media violence reduce responsiveness to subsequent media violence and/or real violence?

ISBN

• 0802035531
• 9780802035530
• 0802084257
• 9780802084255

LCCN

2002728194

OCLC

• ocm48417153
• 48417153
• SCSB-8813009

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library