Rethinking Longitudinal Studies of Media Violence and Aggression: A Rejoinder to Lacko et al.'s (2026) Comment

Lacko et al. responded to the concerns raised in our commentary, providing an opportunity to reflect on broader methodological and theoretical issues in longitudinal research on media violence and aggression. This exchange highlights five lessons for future research: (1) longitudinal studies should place greater emphasis on developmental processes; (2) analytical approaches and the interpretation of findings are important; (3) examining the longitudinal effects of media violence on aggression requires high-quality longitudinal data; (4) greater transparency and openness in both data and analytical methods strengthen the field; and (5) future research should place greater emphasis on understanding when, how, and for whom media violence influences aggression. We hope these lessons will contribute to more rigorous longitudinal research and a deeper understanding of the developmental processes linking media violence and aggression.