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Have Recent Studies Addressed Methodological Issues Raised by Five Decades of Television Violence Research?: A Critical Review

NCJ Number
239582
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2012 Pages: 129-139
Author(s)
Christopher J. Ferguson; Joanne Savage
Date Published
April 2012
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article examines studies that estimate the effects of exposure to media violence, and discusses methodological issues resulting from these studies.
Abstract
Media violence continues to be a concern to parents, policymakers and researchers. In spite of confidence expressed by some that exposure to television violence causes serious aggression and violent crime, critics hold that serious flaws in research methodology limits or nullifies conclusions drawn from widely-cited studies. In this paper, the authors will examine a series of classic studies for lessons learned about conducting media violence research, and assess whether recent publications adhere to those standards. The authors conclude that empirical reports with serious flaws continue to be published, compromising their ability to understand this phenomenon. (Published Abstract)