Study links media violence to aggressive behaviour, regardless of culture

The research links media violence to aggressive behaviour among young adults in all cultures. © Syldavia / Istock.com

An American study of young people in seven countries suggests that the violence they are exposed to via media content like TV shows and videogames can be a risk factor for aggressive behaviour, irrespective of the culture they grow up in. 

Researchers at Iowa State University surveyed 2,154 young people (38% of whom were male, with an average age of 21) in Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Romania and the United States, about the level of violence encountered in TV shows and movies that they watched and videogames that they played. They also collected data on aggressive behaviour and empathy.