Introduction
Although people may be unaware, they learn most things by observing and imitating others. Albert Bandura’s work, commonly known as the social learning theory, lays the foundation for modeling behavior (Spielman et al., 2020). Behavior modeling enables individuals to learn fresh behaviors through observation. When a behavior is demonstrated in front of a child or learner, they observe the model and copy the behavior. Behavior modeling is effective only when people show imitative and attending skills. Learners must pay attention and perform the observed behaviors in the same way they have been demonstrated. The concept of modeling behavior has contrasting effects on the relationship between aggression and violent media, as comparisons of existing scholarship show.
Steps in Modeling Behavior
Bandura’s work suggests that four specific steps must be present for modeling behavior to be successful, including motivation, reproduction, retention, and attention. First, the observer or learner must focus and pay attention to what the model does. Model is used to refer to people that perform the copied behavior. Second, the learner must have the capacity to retain what they observe. Third, reproduction refers to the ability to perform the imitated behavior and commit it to memory. Finally, the learner should have the motivation to copy the behavior. Motivation depends on what happens to the model after demonstrating an action. If the model is not punished but rather reinforced, observers are more likely to copy the behavior (Spielman et al., 2020). In contrast, if the model was punished for demonstrating the behavior, there would be less motivation to imitate it.
Violent Media, Video Games, and Explicit Music
The link between aggression and violent media, video games, movies, music, and television is widely misunderstood and well-established. Many individuals misunderstand existing scholarship regarding the effect of violent media on youth, children, and adult aggression. Exposure to violence plays a role in the aggression of children, adults, and youth; however, it is just one of many reasons for increased hostility. Violent media exposure is linked to adolescent and child interpersonal aggression (Spielman et al., 2020). In addition, it increases prosocial behavior and decreases empathy.
Some individuals are more vulnerable to the influence of violent games. For instance, younger children are easily impacted by violent media since they find it hard to differentiate between fantasy and reality (Bender et al., 2018). Furthermore, children may struggle to understand the motives for justifying aggression because brain development continues until the mid-20s (Spielman et al., 2020). Repetitive exposure to violent media may desensitize youth which adversely impacts their interpersonal interactions. Children who play video games regularly construct hostile attribution bias, intentionally perceiving most social interactions as aggressive (Bender et al., 2018). For example, children can assume that a stranger on the street bumping into them is intentional, forcing them to display hostile behavior towards others.
Violent and explicit music may cause adults and young adolescents to imitate what they see. Such music often consists of many scenes where violence is committed. Since children and adolescents may struggle to differentiate fantasy and reality, the susceptibility to commit minor aggressions increases as the exposure to such songs intensifies. In addition, some songs may encourage misogyny towards a certain group of people. As a result, children and young adults may copy the behavior because there are no real consequences in the music (Ireland et al., 2018). Sometimes, when they commit aggression against people in real life, they can begin to understand the far-reaching ramifications their modeled behavior has.
Comparison of The Selected Articles
For comparison purposes, two peer-reviewed articles are chosen to evaluate the opposing arguments of aggression and violent media. The first article selected is titled The relation of violent video games to adolescent aggression: An examination of moderated mediation effect by Rong Shao and Yunqiang Wang. The second article is authored by Andrew Przybylski and Netta Weinstein and is titled Violent video game engagement is not associated with adolescents’ aggressive behavior: Evidence from a registered report. The two articles have several similarities and differences, including sample size, bias, and other factors.
Similarity
Both journal articles acknowledge that the study of the impacts of violent video games on adolescents’ aggression is complicated and contradictory. The research conducted on the topic is inconsistent with some studies finding a link between aggression in adolescents and engagement in video games. In contrast, other studies have found that video game playing by various people does not influence or cause aggression in children, adults, and teenagers (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019). With the two opposing arguments, it is unsurprising that researchers constantly debate whether their position on the topic is accurate.
Differences
There are widespread differences between the two studies ranging from methods of data collection to the specific arguments presented in each article. For instance, two studies vary in terms of the number and type of participants that helped reach research conclusions. Shao and Wang (2019) utilized the responses of 648 Chinese students in middle school. The participants were aged between 12 and 19, with 419 coming from towns and cities and 229 from rural areas (Shao & Wang, 2019).
In contrast, Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) utilized comments from 1004 respondents aged between fourteen and fifteen. In addition, their guardians were also required to partake in the study. The sample sizes of the two studies have large implications for research results. For instance, utilizing self-reported responses from adolescents alone can lead to biased conclusions. On the other hand, using responses from both adolescents and their guardians provides reliable data that can be trusted, resulting in more credible conclusions.
There are positional differences in the studies regarding the relationship between adolescent aggression and violent media. Shao and Wang (2019) found that adolescent aggression and violent video games are positively correlated, whereas Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) rejected the hypothesis. Shao and Wang (2019) corroborate existing scholarship suggesting that aggression can be independently explained by playing teenagers violent video games. The study argues that the General Aggression Model (GAM) can explain its results. According to GAM, violent video games make teenagers learn and reinforce aggression knowledge, including desensitization, beliefs, and attitude (Shao & Wang, 2019).
In contrast, Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) assert that based on the respondents’ data, video games are not explicitly linked to adolescents’ aggressive behavior. Interestingly, the study acknowledges that some gaming mechanics and situations foment aggressive reactions in players, including trash-talking and incompetence feelings (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019). However, Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) present their main argument which asserts that mere exposure to violent gaming acts cannot lead to perceivable differences in real-world setting aggression in adolescents.
Another difference between the articles is observed in the level of self-reporting used. For example, Shao and Wang (2019) rely heavily on self-reporting to make conclusions. Using teacher, parent, or peer reports to assess exposure to violent media and its effect on aggression would improve the study’s effectiveness (Shao & Wang, 2019). On the other hand, Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) utilized self-reports from adolescents and their guardians. Therefore, the approach to data collection increased the study’s credibility. The authors did not ask participants to rate their aggressive behavior but rather relied on the responses from their parents. In addition, independent coders were used while classifying the video games’ content using internationally recognized rating systems (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019). As a result, self-reporting biases were minimized, reducing the chance of inflating the study’s estimates and conclusions.
The studies differ in terms of additional concepts related to adolescent aggression that are explored in the articles. For instance, Shao and Wang (2019) consider the role of normative beliefs and family relationships as well as their influence on aggressive behavior. The study argues that repetitive playing of violent video games can desensitize adolescents to violence and make them think aggression is a good problem-solving technique. As a result, normative beliefs regarding aggression are formed, increasing teenagers’ likelihood of violence. Family relationships can mediate the effect of normative beliefs about violence.
Adolescents with supportive family environments seldom demonstrate anger and attack, lowering the chance of aggregate aggression. In contrast, teenagers in unsupportive families are highly likely to be more hostile (Shao & Wang, 2019). Instead, Przybylski and Weinstein (2019) focus solely on rigorously testing if playing violent video games can be linked to aggression. Therefore, there are no additional concepts explored aside from the main hypothesis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the relationship between aggression and violent media is affected in different ways due to behavior modeling, as indicated by existing research. Most studies argue that violent media can increase adolescent aggression through behavior modeling. Teenagers can learn by observing violent acts in media and applying them in real-life situations. While the implications of the research are disturbing to most parents, some studies suggest that violent media is just one of the many reasons violence is committed by adolescents. Due to contradicting research results from studies exploring adolescent aggression and violent media, scientists need to work with rigor and openness to increase the usefulness of their research.
References
Bender, P. K., Plante, C., & Gentile, D. A. (2018). The effects of violent media content on aggression. Current Opinion in Psychology, 19, 104-108. Web.
Ireland, J., Birch, P., & Ireland, C. (Eds.). (2018). The Routledge international handbook of human aggression: Current issues and perspectives. Routledge.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2019). Violent video game engagement is not associated with adolescents’ aggressive behavior: Evidence from a registered report. Royal Society Open Science, 6(2), 1-16. Web.
Shao, R., & Wang, Y. (2019). The relation of violent video games to adolescent aggression: An examination of moderated mediation effect. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1-9. Web.
Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W., & Lovett, M. (2020). Psychology (2nd ed). OpenStax, Rice University.