TY - JOUR
T1 - Mean on the Screen
T2 - Social Aggression in Programs Popular With Children
AU - Martins, Nicole
AU - Wilson, Barbara J.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - A content analysis was conducted to examine the portrayal of social aggression in the 50 most popular television programs among 2- to 11-year-old children. Results revealed that 92% of the programs in the sample contained some social aggression. On average, there were 14 different incidents of social aggression per hour in these shows, or one every 4 minutes. Compared to the portrayals of physical aggression, social aggression was more likely to be enacted by an attractive perpetrator, to be featured in a humorous context, and neither rewarded or punished. In these ways, social aggression on television poses more of a risk for imitation and learning than do portrayals of physical aggression. Findings are discussed in terms of social cognitive theory.
AB - A content analysis was conducted to examine the portrayal of social aggression in the 50 most popular television programs among 2- to 11-year-old children. Results revealed that 92% of the programs in the sample contained some social aggression. On average, there were 14 different incidents of social aggression per hour in these shows, or one every 4 minutes. Compared to the portrayals of physical aggression, social aggression was more likely to be enacted by an attractive perpetrator, to be featured in a humorous context, and neither rewarded or punished. In these ways, social aggression on television poses more of a risk for imitation and learning than do portrayals of physical aggression. Findings are discussed in terms of social cognitive theory.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870946869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84870946869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01599.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01599.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84870946869
SN - 0021-9916
VL - 62
SP - 991
EP - 1009
JO - Journal of Communication
JF - Journal of Communication
IS - 6
ER -