I. Theoretical Debate: Modeling Hypothesis vs. Catharsis Hypothesis

A. Modeling Hypothesis

1. Social learning approach: children learn by observing; they model the behavior of others

2. Prediction: TV violence leads to an increase in aggressive behavior

B. Catharsis Hypothesis

1. Historical roots (Aristotle; Freud's psychodynamic model)

2. Prediction: TV violence leads to a decrease in aggressive behavior

C. Comments on theory testing and measurement issues; anecdotal evidence

II. Correlational Research

A. Eron (1963): correlation between TV violence and ratings of physical, verbal aggress.

1. Problems with correlational studies:

a) Three possible causal possibilities for every correlation

b) Examples of spurious correlations; what about smoking and lung cancer?

c) People have a strong tendency to think causally about correlations

III. Experimental Research

See flowcharts of the experiments described below.

A. Benefits of the experimental approach

1. Experimental control--importance of random assignment

2. Some definitions--independent variable, dependent variable, experimental condition, control condition, etc.

3. What experiments can tell us, and what they can't

B. Laboratory experiments

1. Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1961)--Bobo doll study supports modeling hypothesis

a) Issues of internal validity and external validity

2. Liebert and Baron (1972)--Linking television aggression to aggressive behavior

C. Field experiments

1. Feshbach and Singer (1970)--suggest support for the catharsis hypothesis, but there are methodological problems

2. Leyens, Camino, Parke, and Berkowitz (1975)--correct some methodological problems with Feshbach and Singer; suggest support for modeling

IV. Conclusions About the Relationship Between TV Violence and Aggressive Behavior

• Review and general conclusions about the relationship between TV violence and behavior from Cook et al. (1983)

Terms and Concepts to Know

Television violence---->Violent/Aggressive Behavior

Modeling hypothesis

Catharsis hypothesis

Anecdotal evidence (also known as case studies)

Positive correlation vs. negative correlation

Eron (1963) study

Correlational data

Three causal possibilities for any correlation

Reverse causality

Spuriousness (same thing as confounding)

Experimental Research

Experimental realism

Experimental condition vs. control condition

Independent variable

Dependent variable

Internal validity

External validity

Confounding

Field Experiments

Thought Questions

1. What were your own intuitions about the effects of television violence on violent/aggressive behavior before this lecture? Did you think television violence increased aggression? Decreased aggression? Had no effect? What kinds of evidence did you use to support your intuitions: Actual experience? Observations of others? Intuitions about whether it seemed plausible that television could affect behavior? Opinions of experts?

2. Has this lecture changed your opinions about the effects of television violence?

3. Try your hand at designing a correlational study to determine whether Psychology 101 improves students' intelligence. Pay attention to the possible causal directions, operational definitions, etc. Now design an experiment to test this hypothesis. Pay attention to all of the factors that you need to consider in designing this experiment.