A Literature Review on the Portrayal of Television Violence in the U.S. Programs and Its Impact on Viewers

Ling-Chuan Pan

《復興崗學報》 78期 (2003/09) Pp. 333-359

並列摘要

The media effects literature has established a general consensus that television violence would have a negative impact on viewers. There are three primary types of effects out of exposure to television violence: learning of aggressive attitudes and behaviors, desensitization to violence and the fear of being victimized by violence.
However, the risk of such effects occurring is influenced strongly by the contextual patterns in ways that violence is depicted. For example, rewarded violence increases the likelihood of learning of aggression, whereas punished violence decreases that risk.
By conducting the literature research, the writer of this article aims to explore the contextual features of violent portrayals, and the influence of these contextual features on viewers in terms of the three major negative effects.
Furthermore, by showing disturbing problems in the media nowadays--distorted representations of the real world as well as linking violence with pleasure, the writer also urges the media industry to face the problems and take its responsibility to correct the violent content on the screen, thereby decreasing the negative impact on the audience.

並列關鍵字

contextual features ； imitation effect ； disinhibition effect ； desensitization effect