Does viewing media violence cause violent behavior? What does the research say?

This product asks students to weigh in on the possible causal connection between exposure to violent media and violent behavior. Students are asked to state their thoughts both prior to and after reviewing the existing literature on the topic. Research articles present arguments both affirming and denying the causal connection. Multiple meta-analysis article links are also provided. Students are asked to note if their stance on the issue changed after viewing the research and to explain why if it did.

The possible causal connection between exposure to violent media and violent behavior is a question that is both widely debated and of particular interests to students. The research articles linked help to illustrate import methodological points including the difference between correlation and causation and the difficulty measuring outcomes like violent behavior.