DOCUMENT RESUME PS 0 4 870 Liebert, Robert M.; Baron, Robert A. Effects of Symbolic Modeling on Children's Interpersonal Aggression. Fels Research Inst., Yellow Springs, Ohio. National Inst. of Mental Hea th (DHEW), Bet MI. Apr 71 27p.; Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, £inneapolis, Minnesota, April, 1971 MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 *Aggression; *Elementary School Students; Interpersonal Relationship; Sex Differences; *Television Viewing; *Violence Do exposure to symbolica ly modeled aggression (aggression in cartoons, movies, stories and simulated television programs) increase children's willingness to engage in behavior which might actually harm another human being? This paper presents a summary of three recent experiments offering affirmative answers to the question. A fourth experiment provides evidence that at least under some circumstances, children's interpersonal aggression may be increased by witnessing symbolic agycessive models. Subjects were 136 boys and girls randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. Individual children in each group watched a videotape of either a violent or a highly active sports sequence. Subjects were next escorted to an adiacent room and seated at a response box apparatus. By pressing either of two buttons, children communicated their intent to help or hurt another child. As in many earlier studies, subjects regularly exposed to symbolic aggressive models tended to respond more aggressively than control group subjects tested under identical circumstances. Further, this pattern of results emerged despite the brevity of the aggressive sequences and, in three of four experiments, such effects were found even in the absence of a strong prior instigation to aggression. (WY) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTEL EJCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFIUIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY Effects of Symbolic Modeling on Children Interpersonal Aggression

Designed for child development courses in psychology, this book the period from birth to middle childhood. Children are viewed as taking a role in their own development, not as passive recipients of their environment. Recent research is included on obese children, shy and resilient children and children with AIDS. Features include a special emphasis on cross-cultural influences on development.

The case study reported in this paper focuses on the relationship between bedwetting and misconduct after the implementation of behavior therapy for both problems. A 6built12-year-old girl was treated for enuresis and subsequently for conduct problems (lying, aggressiveness). After both bedwetting and misconduct displayed substantial and stable improvement, it was found that occasional nightly relapses in bedwetting were strongly associated with the occurence of misconduct the following day. Implications of this finding are discussed.

The average child born today will, by age 15, have spent more time watching television than going to school. Research has shown that heavy doses of TV violence viewing are associated with the development of aggressive attitudes and behavior. TV viewing also appears to cultivate stereotypic views of gender roles and race. Finally, television commercials often capitalize on children's naivete, and also can foster and reinforce overly materialistic attitudes. All of these adverse effects can be minimized if parents restrict the amount of overall viewing, encourage some programs and discourage others, and talk to children frequently about the meaning of what they see on television.

The medical histories of 60 children with primary enuresis who were treated with a urine alarm were reviewed after a 1-year follow-up. Prior treatment and failure with imipramine hydrochloride predicted relapse following subsequent treatment success with a urine alarm. Relapse was not associated with other subject characteristics. A prospective randomized treatment trial is proposed to test the hypothesis that previous imipramine treatment failure causes relapse after successful urine alarm treatment.

To illustrate how to deliver underutilized psychological treatments, a comprehensive, low-cost treatment for primary enuresis was developed consisting of bell-and-pad training, cleanliness training, retention control, and overlearning. Sixty primary enuretic children and their parents attended 1-hour group training sessions and implemented treatment in the home. Each case required 15 minutes of professional time, and net cost to each family was +50. Forty-eight (81%) achieved initial arrest of bedwetting and only 11 (24%) relapsed at 1-year follow-up. Significant association between relapse and prior treatment failure with imipramine was noted. The outcome was found to compare favorably with previous treatments that required more professional time.

CHANGING CHANNELS: LIVING (SENSIBLY) WITH TELEVISION by Peggy Charren and Martin W. Sandler (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1983---$24.95/S11.95). THE EARLY WINDOW: EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH by Robert M. Liebert, Joyce Sprafkin and Emily Davidson (New York: Pergamon Press, 1982--- $25.00/$9.95). POSITIVE IMAGES: BREAKING STEREOTYPES WITH CHILDREN'S TELEVISION by Jerome Johnston and James S. Ettema (Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1982-- S22.00/$10.95). AUDIENCES FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION by Ronald E. Frank and Marshall G. Greenberg (Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1982---$25.00). THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF TELEVISION: A RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE 1980s by W. Russell Neuman, ed., (Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, Publications Office, P.O. Box 150, Queenstown, Maryland 21658---price not given, paper). FACTORS INFLUENCING MEDIA CONSUMPTION: A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE by Christine D. Urban (Program on Information Resources Policy, 200 Aiken, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 02138---apply for price, paper).