Sara Prot

Long-Term Relations Among Prosocial-Media Use, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior

Despite recent growth of research on the effects of prosocial media, processes underlying these effects are not well understood. Two studies explored theoretically relevant mediators and moderators of the effects of prosocial media on helping. Study 1 examined associations among prosocial- and violent-media use, empathy, and helping in samples from seven countries. Prosocial-media use was positively associated with helping. This effect was mediated by empathy and was similar across cultures. Study 2 explored longitudinal relations among prosocial-video-game use, violent-video-game use, empathy, and helping in a large sample of Singaporean children and adolescents measured three times across 2 years. Path analyses showed significant longitudinal effects of prosocial- and violent-video-game use on prosocial behavior through empathy. Latent-growth-curve modeling for the 2-year period revealed that change in video-game use significantly affected change in helping, and that this relationship was mediated by change in empathy.

Video Games:: Good, Bad, or Other?

Video games are a pervasive pastime among children and adolescents. The growing popularity of video games has instigated a debate among parents, researchers, video game producers, and policymakers concerning potential harmful and helpful effects of video games on children. This article provides an overview of research findings on the positive and negative effects of video games, thus providing an empirical answer to the question, are video games good or bad? The article also provides some guidelines to help pediatricians, parents, and other caregivers protect children from negative effects and to maximize positive effects of video games.

Exposure to Muslims in Media and Support for Public Policies Harming Muslims

Few studies have empirically examined how media stereotypes of Muslims influence Americans’ support for public policies exclusively harming Muslims. Across three studies, we tested the short-term and long-term effects of news portraying Muslims as terrorists on Americans’ support for public policies harming Muslims domestically and internationally. Study 1 revealed that exposure to news portraying Muslims as terrorists is positively associated with support for military action in Muslim countries. Study 2 revealed that exposure to news portraying Muslims as terrorists is positively associated with support for public policies that harm Muslims domestically and internationally; this effect was fully mediated by perceptions of Muslims as aggressive. Experimental results from Study 3 revealed that exposing participants to negative Muslim media footage, relative to neutral or no-video footage, increased perceptions of Muslims as aggressive, increased support for harsh civil restrictions of Muslim Americans, and increased support for military action in Muslim countries. Exposure to positive Muslim footage yielded opposite results. We discuss the importance of media in exacerbating aggressive attitudes and public policies in the context of intergroup relations.

Cutting Gordian Knots Reducing Prejudice Through Attachment Security

The positive role of secure attachment in reducing intergroup biases has been suggested in prior studies. We extend this work by testing the effects of secure attachment primes on negative emotions and aggressive behaviors toward outgroup members across four experiments. Results from Studies 1A and 1B reveal that secure attachment prime, relative to neutral, can reduce negative outgroup emotions. In addition, Studies 1B and 3 results rule out positive mood increase as an alternative explanation for the observed effects. Results from Studies 2 and 3 reveal that secure attachment primes can reduce aggressive behavior toward an outgroup member. The effect of secure attachment primes on outgroup harm was found to be fully mediated by negative emotions in Studies 2 and 3. An interaction between secure attachment primes and ingroup identification in Study 2 indicated that the positive effects of secure attachment in reducing outgroup harm may be especially beneficial for highly identified ingroup members.

An empirical examination of the strength differential hypothesis in cyberbullying behavior.

Objective: Two studies were conducted to (re)examine whether the strength differential hypothesis—that face-to-face bullies are likely to be physically stronger than victims—is valid in the cyberbullying domain. The novel contribution of our research includes testing the relations between the belief that strength is irrelevant for online bullying, online power (technological abilities), and cyberbullying within the theoretical integration of the Barlett and Gentile cyberbullying model and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Method: Two studies had participant’s complete measures of cyberbullying behavior, cyberbullying attitudes, online power, and the belief that strength is irrelevant for online bullying. Study 1 (N = 147) utilized a cross-sectional design with a general adult population, whereas Study 2 (N = 218) employed a short-term longitudinal study of college students. Results: Correlation and regression findings from Study 1 showed that (a) the belief that muscularity is irrelevant for online bullying (but not online power) was associated with more cyberbullying, and (b) this relation was mediated by cyberbullying attitudes. Study 2 replicated these results using a longitudinal path analysis. Conclusion: The current research supports the postulates of the BGCM by confirming the theoretically predicted relations between the belief that muscularity is irrelevant in the online world and cyberbullying behavior through the development of cyberbullying attitudes. Online power, in the form of computer skill, did not show this pattern, suggesting that perceptions of physical strength are more relevant even in the online world, supporting the original strength differential hypothesis.

Media Violence and Other Aggression Risk Factors in Seven Nations

Cultural generality versus specificity of media violence effects on aggression was examined in seven countries (Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Romania, the United States). Participants reported aggressive behaviors, media use habits, and several other known risk and protective factors for aggression. Across nations, exposure to violent screen media was positively associated with aggression. This effect was partially mediated by aggressive cognitions and empathy. The media violence effect on aggression remained significant even after statistically controlling a number of relevant risk and protective factors (e.g., abusive parenting, peer delinquency), and was similar in magnitude to effects of other risk factors. In support of the cumulative risk model, joint effects of different risk factors on aggressive behavior in each culture were larger than effects of any individual risk factor.

Applying risk and resilience models to predicting the effects of media violence on development

Although the effects of media violence on children and adolescents have been studied for over 50 years, they remain controversial. Much of this controversy is driven by a misunderstanding of causality that seeks the cause of atrocities such as school shootings. Luckily, several recent developments in risk and resilience theories offer a way out of this controversy. Four risk and resilience models are described, including the cascade model, dose-response gradients, pathway models, and turning-point models. Each is described and applied to the existing media effects literature. Recommendations for future research are discussed with regard to each model. In addition, we examine current developments in theorizing that stressors have sensitizing versus steeling effects and recent interest in biological and gene by environment interactions. We also discuss several of the cultural aspects that have supported the polarization and misunderstanding of the literature, and argue that applying risk and resilience models to the theories and data offers a more balanced way to understand the subtle effects of media violence on aggression within a multicausal perspective.

Violent Media Effects: Theory and Evidence

Technological advancement has given rise to unprecedented access to television shows, movies, and video games. Naturally, scientists have dedicated much attention on how media, particularly violent media, influences viewers and players. The current article summarizes findings on the influence of such media on several outcomes including aggression, prosocial behavior, stereotyping, risk taking, and others. Special attention is paid to the theoretical processes through which these outcomes occur.