Date of Award

8-2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Abstract

Over the course of a year, a child will spend 1,500 hours watching television, a significant amount when compared to the 900 hours he or she will spend in school (Herr, 2007). Violence is one of the dominating messages disseminated through the sensation of television, which plays an active role in entertaining and impacting the lives of today‘s young audience. Because of its prevalence, violence on TV has grown to be a controversial issue on which several studies have been conducted since the 1950s. This thesis explores past research and takes a critical look at studies conducted within the last ten years in order to discover new or better understandings of how watching television violence affects young viewers. Using Bandura‘s social cognitive theory and Gerbner‘s theory of cultivation as a guide, this documentary research offers a fresh understanding of an always-changing medium. While research continually attempts to tie antisocial behavior to viewing violent television, the confidence to infer causation remains weak.

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