Desensitization of children to television violence.

Exposed a total of 121 5-14 yr old boys with histories of high and low exposure to TV (and the violence therein) to a moderately violent film. Measures of autonomic response (skin conductance and blood volume pulse amplitude) were taken before and during their exposure to the violent film. Over both measures and in another replicated study, the high TV exposure Ss were significantly less aroused autonomically. This suggests a limited but still definite and measurable desensitization to filmed violence. Since the Ss had had either no exposure or no recent exposure to the particular film, results suggest the possibility of a generalizing effect for the desensitization that occurred. VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study by Cline et al. was to examine, via measurement of physiological responses, whether children can become desensitized to violence. METHODOLOGY: For their first study, the authors employed a quasi-experimental cross-sectional design with a sample of 80 male children between the ages of 5 and 12. Subjects were divided into two groups, based upon the amount of television they had watched in the previous two years. The high-television-exposure group had watched 25 hours or more television per week in that period, while the low-television-exposure subjects had watched fewer than 4 hours of television per week. Forty children for each group were recruited via newspaper advertisements, and subjects were compared for social class levels and father's education. Autonomic arousal was measured with a physiography whilst subjects were shown a 14 minute film containing three segments. The first consisted of a nonviolent ski film, the second was a chase scene and the third showed a brutal boxing match. This third segment had an equal amount of nonviolent material in between the violent scenes, so that each subject could act as his own control. Arousal was measured from before the films began until the end of the experiment, with measurement involving blood volume pulse amplitude to access heart response rates and changes. The second part of the research involved the use of 41 boys between the ages of 7 and 14 years, with one group of 20 high-television-exposure subjects and one group of 21 low-television-exposure individuals. The procedure of the study was identical to that in the first phase, except that subjects viewed the films in high-low pairs instead of alone. Skin conductance was also measured in this study, with levels of skin charge being measured if above 500 ohms. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The authors initially investigated whether there existed any demographic differences between the high-exposure and the low- exposure groups. Significant differences were found between the two groups of subjects for both measures, with low-exposure subjects coming from families in which the father had higher occupational status and more education. When comparing base levels of autonomic responses prior to viewing the films, however, no significant differences were found between the two groups. The authors suggested that although there existed some difference in socio- economic status between the subjects, this difference should not have systematically affected their autonomic responses to the violent films. When comparing the two groups on automonic responses before the film and after the nonviolent film, no significant differences were found. However, this was not the case for responses to the violent films. Subjects in the low-television-exposure group exhibited significantly higher levels of autonomic arousal, and therefore emotional arousal, than did boys in the high-television-exposure group. Even during the nonviolent parts of the boxing match, low-exposure boys were more aroused, although not significantly so, than their high-exposure counterparts. The authors concluded that a desensitization effect or an habituation effect to violence in general might develop in those subjects who watch greater amounts of television than their low-exposure peers. AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS: The authors suggested that, based upon the findings of their studies, further research be conducted using a greater variety of stimulus films. EVALUATION: The authors present an interesting glimpse into the effects of desensitization upon the young television viewer. However, the small sample size, coupled with the use of only one violent film and only two measures of physiological response, suggest that the results be viewed with some caution. No mention was made in the paper as to the difference, if any, between the groups viewing the films alone and those experiencing the study in pairs. Other demographic variables, such as ethnicity, could have been included, and the effects of desensitization upon females were not considered. No discussion was presented about the implications of the findings, which could have been very interesting. Overall, the study provides an interesting although brief and non-detailed examination of the effects of high and low exposure to television in children. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Desensitization KW - Exposure to Violence KW - Child Male KW - Juvenile Male KW - Middle Childhood KW - Late Childhood KW - Early Adolescence KW - Media Violence Effects KW - Television Viewing KW - Television Violence (25 refs.) Language: en