Aggression and Popular Media: From Violence in Entertainment Media to News Coverage of Violence

The current chapter presents a summary of the accumulated research findings on aggression and popular media, with a specific focus on fictional violence (e.g., violence in popular media such as television, movies, and video games) and real-world violence (e.g., news coverage of violent crimes and terrorism). Possible consequences of media violence exposure—including increased aggressive affect, cognition, and behaviors—are discussed in terms of the General Aggression Model. Evidence from cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal studies is summarized. The chapter concludes with the implication of media portrayal of fictional and real-life violence as a risk factor for human aggression and negative psychological well-being.