EFFECTS OF COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTION OF VIOLENT AND NONVIOLENT FILMS ON VIEWERS' SUBSEQUENT AGGRESSION

• NCJ Number: 46388
• Journal: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH 1976) Pages: 220-232
• Author(s): S WORCHELL; T W HARDY; R HURLEY
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): GS37062
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: Academic Press, Inc
• Sale Source: University of Virginia
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AGGRESSIVE RESPONSES FOLLOWING THE VIEWING OF THREE FULL-LENGTH FILMS--A STAGED VIOLENT FILM, A REALISTIC VIOLENT FILM, AND A NONVIOLENT FILM--ARE MEASURED, WITH ONE-HALF THE VIEWERS SUBJECTED TO COMMERCIALS.

Abstract

ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS FROM INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA VOLUNTEERED FOR AN EXPERIMENT, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS RANGING IN SIZE FROM THREE TO NINE PERSONS. THE EXPERIMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THE SUBJECTS AS A PILOT STUDY DESIGNED TO COLLECT DATA ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS RELEVANT TO MOTION PICTURES. SUBJECTS WERE TOLD THAT THEIR ROLE IN THE STUDY WOULD BE TO WATCH A MOVIE AND THEN FILL OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE. THE EXPERIMENTER INTRODUCED HIS ASSISTANT, EXPLAINING THAT THE ASSISTANT WOULD TELL THEM MORE ABOUT THE FILM AND OPERATE THE PROJECTION EQUIPMENT. THE EXPERIMENTER LEFT THE ROOM. PART OF THE EXPERIMENT INVOLVED THE ASSISTANT COMMITTING A SERIES OF INCOMPETENT BLUNDERS PRIOR TO SHOWING THE FILMS TO SET THE STAGE FOR THE EXPERIMENTER HAVING THE SUBJECTS EVALUATE THE JOB PERFORMANCE OF THE ASSISTANT AFTER THE SHOWINGS. THIS WAS INTENDED TO MEASURE THE AGGRESSION LEVEL OF THE SUBJECTS AFTER VIEWING THE FILMS. ONE-THIRD OF THE SUBJECTS SAW THE NONAGRESSIVE CONTROL FILM, THE MOUSE THAT ROARED; ANOTHER THIRD SAW THE DOCUMENTARY VIOLENT FILM, ATTICA; AND THE REMAINING THIRD SAW THE STAGED VIOLENT FILM, THE WILD ONE. FOR HALF OF THE SUBJECTS VIEWING EACH OF THE FILMS, 10 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE INTERJECTED AT 15 TO 20 MINUTE INTERVALS DURING THE SHOWING OF THE FILMS. RESULTS CONFIRMED PREDICTIONS THAT AGGRESSIVE RESPONSES AFTER VIEWING AGGRESSIVE FILMS WILL BE GREATER THAN AFTER VIEWING NONAGGRESSIVE FILMS, AND THAT AGGRESSIVE RESPONSES WILL BE GREATER IF FILMS ARE INTERRUPTED BY COMMERCIALS THAN WHEN NOT INTERRUPTED. NO DIFFERENCES WERE NOTED IN AGGRESSIVE RESPONSES BETWEEN THOSE SUBJECTS VIEWING THE STAGED VIOLENCE AS COMPARED TO THOSE VIEWING VIOLENCE IN DOCUMENTARY FORM. (RCB)