Abstract

There has been a long controversy about the effect of TV violence on adolescents' aggression. Social learning theory predicts modelling effect of TV violence while catharsis hypothesis posits its' cathartic effect. Results of empirical studi.es on the issue revealed inconsistency. Survey and laboratory experiment studies tend to support the learning theory prediction while field experiment studies have been inclined to show negative data. Regardless of the results, most of those previous studies suffer from methodological weakness. Survey studies were mostly relied on retrospective type of self report on TV effect, which subsequently leads to validity problem and difficulty with causal interpretation of the obtained data. Laboratory experiments are susceptible to the question of external validity. The duration of exposure to violent scenes or acts was too short in comparison with TV exposure time in real life. The dependent measures, e.g., aggressive acts in laboratory studies were not the kind of antisocial aggression about which society has been concerned. Field experimental studies are considered superior in that it could reduce the: problem of external validity. However, further sophistications of field experiment in methodology are demanded. Time of exposure to violence needs to be lengthened and dependent measures of aggression are better obtained in diverse natural settings.