No Clear Link Between TV Violence and Aggression Essay -- Television,

No Clear Link Between Television Violence and Aggression    There is a great deal of speculation on the role of television violence in childhood aggression.   Research demonstrates there may be other intervening variables causing aggression.   These variables include IQ, social class, parental punishment, parental aggression, hereditary, environmental, and modeling.   With all of these factors to taken into consideration it is difficult to determine a causal relationship between television violence and aggression.   It is my hypothesis this relationship is bi-directional - violent television causes aggressive behavior and aggressive people tend to watch more violent television.    Over the years there has been a large amount of research published, many with conflicting results, to the question of a causal link existing between the viewing of televised violence and childhood aggression.   It is an important question because if violent television is linked to childhood aggression we need to adapt our television shows accordingly.    Early 1960's Research    There is earlier research, but the first association between violent television and aggression was in the early 1960's when Albert Bandura began researching his modeling theory.   His series of experiments first set the precedent for a relationship between violent television viewing and aggression.   He felt children would model or imitate adult behavior.   In one study he subjected children to both aggressive and non- aggressive adult models and then tested them for imitative behavior in the presence of the model.   His theory was demonstrated when children readily imitated behavior exhibited by an adult model .. ...al Psychology, 67, 601-607. Eron, L.D. (1963).   Relationship of television viewing habits and aggressive behavior in children.   Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 193-196. Eron, L.D. (1982).   Parent-child interaction, television, violence and aggression of children.   American Psychologist, 37, 197-211. Eron, L.D., Huesmann, L.R., Lefkowitz, M.M. & Walder, L.O. (1972).   Does television violence cause aggression?   American Psychologist, 27, 253-263. Freeman, J.L. (1984).   Effect of television violence on aggressiveness. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 227-246. Friedrich-Cofer, L. & Huston, A.C. (1986).   Television violence and aggression: The debate continues.   Psychological Bulletin, 100, 364- 371. Kaplan, R.M. & Singer, R.D. (1976).   TV violence and viewer aggression: A reexamination of the evidence. Journal of Social Issues, 32, 33-70.