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Originalia

Aggression-Related Characteristics and the Selection of Media Violence

Published Online:October 03, 2006https://doi.org/10.1026/1617-6383.18.3.119

Abstract

Abstract. A survey of 341 undergraduate students (118 males, 223 females) assessed five aggression-related personality characteristics and their relationships to the preference for violent media. Positive relationships were predicted for aggression, impulsivity and sensation seeking with exposure to media violence and negative relationships for empathy and guilt. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed consistent results only for aggression, where significant positive relationships existed with the frequency of consuming violent media. Sex was also found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between sensation seeking, impulsivity, guilt and violent media and suggests that women may derive much different value from media violence. These findings are predicted and interpreted using a selective exposure theory perspective. Generally, the present study suggests that a general predisposition toward anger, hostility and aggression is the best, albeit small, predictor of who chooses to consume media violence.


Aggressionsbezogene Persönlichkeitseigenschaften und der Konsum gewalthaltiger Medienangebote

Zusammenfassung. In einer Fragebogenstudie mit 341 Teilnehmer/inne/n (118 männlich, 223 weiblich) wurden fünf aggressionsbezogene Persönlichkeitseigenschaften und deren Relation zur Präferenz für gewalthaltige Medienangebote erfasst. Es wurde vermutet, dass die Präferenz für gewalthaltige Medienangebote positiv mit Aggressivität, Impulsivität und sensation seeking und negativ mit Empathie und Schuld korreliert. Hierarchische Regressionsanalysen ergeben jedoch nur für Aggressivität konsistent hypothesenkonforme Ergebnisse: Es zeigen sich signifikante positive Beziehungen zwischen Aggressivität und der Häufigkeit des Konsums gewalthaltiger Medienangebote. Das Geschlecht erweist sich ebenfalls als signifikanter Moderator der Beziehung zwischen sensation seeking, Impulsivität, Schuld und dem Konsum gewalthaltiger Medienangebote. Diese Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass gewalthaltige Medienangebote für Frauen einen ganz anderen Wert besitzen als für Männer. Als theoretischer Rahmen der Untersuchung (sowohl bei der Herleitung der Hypothesen als auch bei der Interpretation der Befunde) dient die selective exposure-Theorie. Insgesamt legt die vorliegende Studie nahe, dass eine generelle Disposition für Wut, Feindseligkeit und Aggression zwar ein schwacher, aber dennoch der beste Prädiktor für die Entscheidung zum Konsum gewalthaltiger Medienangebote ist.

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