title: Backbiting and bloodshed in books: short-term effects of reading physical and relational aggression in literature.
abstract: The current research consisted of two studies examining the effects of reading physical and relational aggression in literature. In both studies, participants read one of two stories (containing physical or relational aggression), and then participated in one of two tasks to measure aggression. In Study 1, participants who read the physical aggression story were subsequently more physically aggressive than those who read the relational aggression story. Conversely, in Study 2, participants who read the relational aggression story were subsequently more relationally aggressive than those who read the physical aggression story. Combined, these results show evidence for specific effects of reading aggressive content in literature.
authors: Brigham Young University, Utah 84602, USA. smcoyne@byu.edu
authors: Sarah M
authors: SM
authors: Coyne
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Ridge
authors: McKay
authors: M
authors: Stevens
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Callister
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Stockdale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008091:Literature; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult