Aggression-Related Characteristics and the Selection of Media Violence

<jats:p> Abstract. A survey of 341 undergraduate students (118 males, 223 females) assessed five aggression-related personality characteristics and their relationships to the preference for violent media. Positive relationships were predicted for aggression, impulsivity and sensation seeking with exposure to media violence and negative relationships for empathy and guilt. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed consistent results only for aggression, where significant positive relationships existed with the frequency of consuming violent media. Sex was also found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between sensation seeking, impulsivity, guilt and violent media and suggests that women may derive much different value from media violence. These findings are predicted and interpreted using a selective exposure theory perspective. Generally, the present study suggests that a general predisposition toward anger, hostility and aggression is the best, albeit small, predictor of who chooses to consume media violence. </jats:p>