Charlton et al. (2002)

research question

Whether the introduction of television to a previously TV-free community would lead to an increase in aggressive behaviour in children.

social cognitive theory

Children learn by observing models on television. If models are rewarded for aggression, children are vicariously reinforced to imitate it. Identification with the model and a sense of self-efficacy (believing they can perform the behaviour) also increase the likelihood of imitation.

natural experiment oppurtunity

Television was introduced to the remote island of St Helena in 1995 for the first time — allowing researchers to measure children's behaviour before and after its introduction without manipulating the IV themselves.

research design

A natural experiment using a pre-test/post-test design — behaviour was observed before (1994) and after (2000) the introduction of television.

participants

160 children aged 3–8 years from two primary schools on St Helena.

data collected

Cameras were set up in school playgrounds recording hundreds of hours of footage. This was supplemented by interview data from teachers, parents, and older children.

content analysis of TV programmes show

Children on St Helena were exposed to a similar quantity and level of violence on television as children in the UK — so the lack of effect cannot be attributed to less violent content.

key findings

No increase in antisocial behaviour was found after five years of television exposure. The good behaviour evident before television arrived was maintained after its introduction.

What were the key results of Joy, Kimball & Zabrack (1986) for comparison?

Children in Notel (Canada) showed a significant increase in both physical and verbal aggression two years after television was introduced in 1973, while aggression in towns that already had TV did not change significantly.

Why did Joy et al. (1986) find increased aggression but Charlton et al. (2002) did not?

Two possible explanations for St Helena: 1. Children could not identify with the models — British TV featured white, middle/upper class characters unlike themselves. 2. Children lacked self-efficacy — they did not believe they could behave like the models. Additionally, the tight-knit community meant children knew they were always being watched and felt social pressure to behave well.

What did one St Helena child say that illustrates the community effect?

“Because everyone watches you... everyone knows you... You've just got to behave" — suggesting strong social accountability reduced antisocial behaviour.

How do both studies support social cognitive theory despite having opposite results?

SCT explains both outcomes — Joy et al. shows imitation occurs when children are aroused and identify with models. Charlton et al. shows imitation does not occur when identification and self-

Why do both studies have high ecological validity?

Both were natural experiments conducted in real-world settings — children were observed in their natural school playgrounds rather than artificial laboratory conditions.

Why do both studies have low internal validity?

As natural experiments, many variables were uncontrolled — other social, cultural, or environmental changes happening at the same time could have influenced levels of aggression, making it impossible to establish cause and effect.

How did researchers improve reliability of aggression ratings in both studies?

Researcher triangulation — teams of researchers used checklists together. Data triangulation — teacher and parent interview data was used to confirm observed aggression levels.

Why is replication a limitation of both studies?

Natural experiments depend on unique circumstances (a community getting TV for the first time) that cannot be artificially recreated — making it very difficult to replicate and therefore hard to establish reliability of findings.

What is a limitation of the pre-test/post-test design in these studies?

While it allows observation of change over time, the poor control of extraneous variables means a cause-and-effect relationship between television exposure and aggression cannot be established.