Exposure to Media Violence and Other Correlates of Aggressive Behavior in Preschool Children

This article describes research examining the play behaviour of 70 United States preschool children and its relationship to television (TV) violence and regulatory status (whether the child’s actions are actively regulated by an adult, are given support by an adult, or are self-regulated in managing internal states and behaviour). The primary purpose of the study was to examine whether viewing TV violence is associated with aggression in preschool children during spontaneous play. The secondary purpose was to evaluate simultaneous multiple variables that influence children’s behaviour. Based on the role of self-regulation, the researchers hypothesised that the children’s regulatory status would be associated with their play behaviours independent of watching media violence.

Seven preschools participated, and 40% of the families consented to be part of the study. Thirty out of 35 teachers (86%) consented to participate in the study.

Evaluative instruments used included: Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS); Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R); Parent and Teacher Surveys; observations, including videotaping, of the children’s interactive play, categorised as "episodes" and coded as “prosocial”, “assertive”, and “verbal and physical aggressive”.

The same verbal and physical aggression categories were used to code television violence. Hours watched per child were calculated. In the data analysis, a series of linear regression analyses were used to estimate whether 16 independent variables were independently and significantly associated with the children’s prosocial, assertive, and aggressive play behaviours. Included among the variables are: gender; age; hours in school; self-regulation; parental age, education, and income; and teachers' age, education, income, and experience. Multiple regression analysis (ANOVA) was used on all 16 variables simultaneously to assess which ones were significantly associated with the children’s play behaviours.

Findings in the abstract include the following: "Linear regression analysis showed that violent program content and poor self-regulation were independently and significantly associated with overall and physical aggression. Advanced maternal age and child age and better self-regulation were independently and significantly associated with prosocial behaviour. According to t-test analysis, two other statistically significant factors associated with overall aggression were gender and the lack of a father figure in the home. Analysis of t-tests showed a statistically significant relationship between children who watched violent content alone and verbal aggression. Multiple regression analysis established that poor self-regulation was the biggest predictor of overall aggression and that overall aggression was significantly related to gender. Results suggest limiting the amount of violent programming that preschool children see. Results also indicate that children benefit from interactive regulatory support."

The article concludes by emphasising the value of parent and child shared media viewing. It also points out that poor self-regulation can be a source of poorly controlled aggressive behaviour, but that teachers can assume the role of mediating disputes and assisting children with self-regulation strategies when challenges arise. "This type of practice may honor or foster the potential of such play to facilitate children’s growth in symbolic and abstract thinking. We conclude that young children’s growing ability to regulate their behavior would benefit from adults’ interactive regulatory support and that it is necessary to limit the amount of violent programming that children see."