Do Genetics Explain the (Sometimes Seen) Relationship Between Television Viewing and Antisocial Behavior?

Whether exposure to television violence contributes to antisocial behavior has been an issue of significant controversy for almost five decades. Some studies find evidence for effects, other studies don't, and there is much debate among scholars regarding the meaningfulness and quality of the studies on both sides. Some scholars have been willing to argue that as much as half of all homicides in the US might be eliminated if childhood exposure to violent television (and other media) were reduced. This debate has also been the source of some "scientific urban legends" such as the old claim, repeated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), that 3500 studies of media effects existed by the year 2000 with only18 not finding evidence for harm (it turns out these numbers were apocryphal and don't remotely represent the actual state of the field). Put simply, it's a debate where there's a lot of bad information out there, sometimes promulgated by folks who ought to know better. One of the ongoing questions in this debate is, if small correlations exist between television viewing and antisocial behavior, is this a causal effect of too much television, or are other factors at play? Do more aggressive people seek out more violent television, for instance? On a very simple level boys tend to watch more violent television and are also more aggressive than girls, so any observed correlation may simply be a gender effect. Unfortunately not all studies include appropriate contr...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news