Rick Schott <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >I'm not going to pretend that I've read lots of research on this subject, = but.. > >1) It sounds like this experiment might only prove that watching violent >television leads one to engage in violent _play_. This does not mean that >those same children would engage in real violent behaviour towards each >other. In other word, watching images of violence might just expand their >ability to make-believe violence, not to really enact it. For adults, an >analogous example: a person might watch a porno in which depicts somewhat >violent sex. That adult might engage in violent sexual fantasies, or even >make-believe violent SM, but not _actually_ have truly violent, harmful >sex. >(This is just speculation based on how you presented the finding of the >experiment -- perhaps the children _did_ become more violent towards each >other). > >2) I have heard that Japan's television has more depictions of violence >than US televison, and yet the violent crime rate is much lower in Japan. >Is this an academic version of an "urban myth" or does someone have an >actual citation for this claim? If so, how does this impact our current >discussion? > 1. You've just summarized one of the main criticisms against media effects= =20 research. And, from the research available - which is A LOT - no one has be= en=20 able to answer that question convincingly. Even if some researchers claims = there=20 is an undisputable causal link between media violence and real-life violenc= e, I=20 find these claims more the result of belief than of hard-core empiric resul= ts.=20 You want to believe films cause violence? Go ahead, there's loads of studie= s=20 supporting your view.=20 You don't think so? Go ahead, there's loads of studies supporting your view. 2. True. I can't find references right now, but Japanese TV (and comics and= =20 films) are probably more obsessed with violence than anywhere else around t= he=20 world. And their rime levels are very low. What we mustn't forget is that=20 Japanese culture is a lot more hierarchic and puts more emphasis on self-co= ntrol=20 than western societies. What can we learn from this? That cultural factors= =20 influence the levels of violence in a society a lot more than media images.= (But=20 then again, there could be even lover levels of violence in Japan if the me= dia=20 weren't so violent... we'll never know. Ulf Ulf Dalquist Phone: +46 46 2224266 Dept. of Sociology Fax: +46 46 2224794 Box 114 221 00 Lund SWEDEN E-mail: [log in to unmask] =20 "You hear about 'constitutional rights', 'free speech', and the 'free press= '. Every time I hear these words I say to myself, 'That man is a Red!!...' = You never hear a real American talk like that!" Mayor Frank Hague, Jersey City ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]