Audience effects when viewing aggressive movies

Abstract

In order to examine audience effects when viewing filmed violence, male subjects watched an aggressive or a neutral movie either alone, accompanied by a passive confederate (i.e. mere presence of a co-spectator), or an active one (i.e. reacting to the movie). The subsequent behavioural measures of subjects' aggression were collected via a modified aggression apparatus. The usual instigation effect of filmed violence was found. Furthermore, the type of audience also influenced aggression: subjects accompanied by an active confederate during the violent movie displayed their aggressive behaviour most. These findings stress the importance of the social context when filmed violence is viewed. The results are discussed in terms of social facilitation and disinhibition effects. It is suggested that an active audience may promote a reduction of restraints against aggressing by showing the subject that aggression is permissible.

The Social Psychology of Sport

“…Continuing in this research tradition, Dunand, Berkowitz, and Leyens (1984) took into account the social context in which aggression is observed. Subjects in this experiment watched either Kirk Douglas in The Champion or an equally arousing but nonaggressive track film, Bannister Wins the Mile.…”

The influence of an audience upon the reactions to filmed violence

“…The classical impact of movie violence was thus obtained but a ceiling effect probably explains the lack of statistical significance of some of the results. Indeed, given the range of the aggression scale (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) and the relatively high reactions after the neutral film (around 3), it was difficult for the viewers of the violent movie to react significantly more aggressively. The same tendency was, again, obtained for dominant boys tested alone (Leyens, Herman and Dunand, in press).…”

Situational Influences on Reactions to Observed Violence

“…A later experiment conducted under Leyens's auspices (Dunand, Berkowitz, & Leyens, 1984) indicates that the other audience members' apparent approval of the movie aggression can also lower the observer's restraints against acting aggressively. In this study university men were first insulted by another student and then watched either a filmed prizefight or a nonaggressive track race.…”