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
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

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)