A Subcultural Account of Media Effects

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Abstract
Most laboratory and field studies into media effect have focussed on aggressive drive or attitude. Overall, their results suggest that a relationship exists between media violence and personal aggression -though the findings are by no means clear-cut. In contrast to this assessment, the present paper asserts that the mass media exert no proven influence at all. Reinterpreting previous work and discussing the findings of new research, we argue that a subcultural explanation is the most promising way of synthesizing their results and expanding the limited insight into media impact provided by the effects paradigm. The influence of the media can only be gauged by understanding the social and cultural conditions in which the media-audience relationship takes hold.

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