In the article, “Media Violence and Children’s ADHD-Related Behaviors: A Genetic Susceptibility Perspective,” the authors conducted a study on the correlation between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the exposure to violence on media. Influenced by the Disposition-Content Congruency model, created by Valkenburg and Peter, this study dug deep into the relationship of media and genetics. As well as how genetics can factor the way media affects individuals. Currently, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common childhood behavioral disorders. Adolescents and adult’s diagnosed with ADHD or ADD have the likelihood of dealing with other obstacles. These problems could include academic downfall, an increase in aggressiveness and the possibility of substance abuse later in life.
Over the past couple decades, it has been clear that technology and media have become more popular. The amount of time that a child is on some form of media has drastically increased over the years. Scholars are now looking closer into the possibility of ADHD being triggered by entertainment media and the chaotic/violent screenplay shown. “The scholars argue that violent media entertainment may negatively affect children’s basic arousal level or disturb their development of self-control, which may both lead to attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Huizinga, Nikkelen, Valkenburg, 2013). In the study, the authors looked close at each child’s media preferences and the affect it may have on their disorder. For example, a child with a high irritability and aggressiveness is more likely entertained by more violent media entertainment. ADHD is proven to be heritable and, in the study, they wrote that media is also shown to be heritable based on the amount of media usage. The article stated that due to both factors being heritable, it is only “reasonable to include genetic factors into the media-uses-and-effects model” (Nikkelen, et al., 2014).
After studying previous research finding, the authors came to a proposition and formed four conceivable hypotheses. The first hypotheses formed by the authors was that children who have certain genetic disposition may be more susceptible to ADHD-related behaviors compared to children with other forms of genetic disposition. Following of that hypothesis, the authors predict that children who are genetically susceptible to ADHD-related behaviors are more likely to use violent media. Children who exhibit these behaviors have low baseline levels of arousal. Violent media is used to entice arousal, therefore children with low baselines are more likely to use violent media to increase their arousal. The study expects that ADHD behaviors will be evoked by exposure to media violence. The final hypothesis formed, expects that children with a certain type of genetic disposition will be more defenseless in the media’s influences, rather than children with other forms of genetic disposition.
In study was accompanied by a sample of children who participated in the Generation R study in 2010. This method is known as longitudinal cohort study and consisted of children only from the Dutch ethnicity. The authors stated that in order to be considered as Dutch, you must have both parents and all four grandparents born in the Netherlands. The whole study consisted of 1,612 children, which was 51.1% male. All children were between the ages of 5-9 years old. The study was created to find environmental and genetic factors that subsided to the child’s development. Each child and primary caregiver have frequent physical examinations and assessments until the child reaches young adulthood. Researches obtained the data through DNA samples and from a cross-sectional survey at a data wave in 2010/11. The model was tested through the Generation R data, which was stated to be the only wave that consisted of the study’s violent media use.
The Child Behavior checklist was used to measure ADHD-related behaviors. Even though this scale is not created to diagnosis ADHD, it can be used as a continual measurement for ADHD behaviors, which is good for the study. The mothers were given a survey to show the amount of time their child was on a form of media and how often violence was present. The article stated that all the entries were calculated up to a total violent media use. In the Zero-order correlations model, which presents the variables in the data, showed that violent media exposure was positively related to ADHD behaviors. In the research over hypothesis 4, studies came back to determine that they were incorrect, and ADHD-related behaviors can be dependent from any child no matter the function of their genotype. Analysis from the three other hypotheses came to prove that violent media exposure mediated the relationship between genetic disposition (genotypes) and ADHD-related behaviors.
Due to this case study being the first research to find an association between violent media exposure and children 5-HTTLPR genotype, further validation and replication will be needed. Since there is no significant effect seen in the relationship of ADHD behaviors and the media, extensive research should be tested on other candidates and factors. In conclusion to this case study, facts show that that their data was rejected from the original disposition-content congruency hypothesis. Although their data was rejected, it did create a very important starting point for the media-effect research. The article stated that genetic advancements are currently revolutionary, and genetic predispositions are said to increase drastically in the years to come.
Work Cited
Nikkelen, S. W., Vossen, H. G., Valkenburg, P. M., Velders, F. P., Windhorst, D. A., Jaddoe, V. W., . . . Tiemeier, H. (2014). Media Violence and Childrens ADHD-Related Behaviors: A Genetic Susceptibility Perspective. Journal of Communication, 64(1), 42-60. doi:10.1111/jcom.12073