Viewing of mass media violence, perception of violence, personality and academic achievement

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the viewing of and interest in violent episodes on TV, whether they be in action and adventure films or cartoons, and both personality, measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ/J), the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS/J) and the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Scales (SP-SR), and academic achievement. The sample was made up of 235 teenage boys and 235 teenage girls. The study also took account of teachers' reports on student personality traits and attitudes such as aggressivity, excitability, leadership, responsibility and interest in studies. Our results reveal that those boys who perceive violent cartoon films as being funny and thrilling are deemed more aggressive and excitable by their teachers. Those boys who rate action and adventure films as more interesting attain lower academic achievement. Boys and girls who perceive violent cartoon films as being thrilling and funny get higher scores on N, P, SSS/J and SR. Those boys who rate action and adventure films watched as more interesting get higher scores on N, P, SSS/J and SR, whereas girls do likewise on E and P, SSS/J. The possible relationship between disinhibited, not very socialised personality and interest in violent topics on TV is thereafter discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.