Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to test the following hypotheses. (1) Watching aggressive films will cause aggression via negative affect. (2) Even non-aggressive films which cause negative affect will induce aggression as aggressive films do. (3) On the basis of above hypotheses, counterbalancing of negative affect by positive affect can mitigate aggression after watching aggressive films. In experiment 1, every 15 male undergraduate students were watched neutral, aggressive, negative affect inducing, positive affect inducing film and were measured affect and aggression by MAACL and aggression machine. Depression, anxiety, and unpleasantness of Ss of aggressive film condition were increased. But their stability was decreased. On the other hand, happiness of Ss of negative affect inducing film condition was decreased and unpleasantness was increased. In the aspect of aggression, both Ss of aggressive film condition and negative affect inducing film condition showed more aggression than neutral and positive affect inducing film condition significantly. So, hypothesis 1 and 2 were supported. In experiment 2, the procedure was same as experiment I except the film Ss watched. Experimental conditions were aggressive, neutral, and counterbalancing film condition. Ss of counterbalancing condition were watched aggressive film and positive affect inducing film successively. Both of aggressive film and counterbalancing film decreased stability and increased unpleasantness. But while happiness of aggressive film condition was decreased, that of counterbalancing was not changed. Aggression of aggressive film condition was significantly higher than other two conditions. These results showed aggression after watching aggressive films could mitigate by counterbalancing affect.