Behavioral and physiological reactions to observed violence: effects of prior exposure to aggressive stimuli

Eight male subjects first watched either a videotaped sequence that was violent and arousing in nature or one that was arousing but less violent. Subjects then observed either a second videotape or a sequence of aggressive acts or no videotape. Subjects who were shown the second videotape were told that the aggressive acts they saw were either justified or not justified by previous events. Other subjects were given no information regarding justification of the observed aggression. It was found that subjects who had first seen an arousing but less violent tape were subsequently more aggressive toward an antagonist if they had also observed justified violence than if they had seen nonjustified violence. Subjects who had first watched the violent videotape showed no differences in aggression as a function of the justification of the second set of aggressive acts. Analysis of blood pressure data showed that prior exposure to violence attenuated arousal in response to subsequently observed aggression, but that the context in which aggression was seen as justified or nonjustified did not influence arousal. The results are discussed in terms of differential sensitivity to cues that inhibit or disinhibit aggression as a result of previous exposure to violence.