Television Violence and Viewer Aggression: A Reexamination of the Evidence

Abstract

Studies of the effects of fantasy violent content in television on aggressive behavior are reviewed and used to assess three positions: (a) an activation view that watching televised fantasy violence causes aggressive behavior, (b) a catharsis view that aggression in some groups may be decreased following the observation of such violence, and (c) a null view that such violence on television has not been demonstrated to have significant effects on aggressive behavior. Studies are discussed with regard to their representativeness in sampling and design. In contrast to earlier reviews which have advocated the activation position, the evidence is here interpreted as supporting the null view.