The effect of exposure to violent-related short-videos on aggression: psychosocial factors as mediators

• In Event: Neurocognitive Pathways to Violence: Psychosocial Deprivation, Media, Cognition, and Intervention

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of exposure to violent-related short-videos on aggression among college students in Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland, while testing the mediating roles of psychosocial factors—Parental Phubbing, Dark Triad traits, and Emotion Regulation Difficulties.
Participants (N = 157) in an age range of 17-27 years old completed validated assessments: the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire measuring two subtypes of aggression, an adapted Exposure to Violent Media Questionnaire for violent short-videos consumption (frequency × intensity), the Parental Phubbing Scale, the Short Dark Triad Scale, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.
Mediation regression analyses revealed that (1) the exposure to violence directly increased both reactive (β=.243, p <.001) and proactive aggression ( β=.081, p <.001), and (2) dark triad traits (β=.075, 95%CI [.017, .215]) and emotion dysregulation (β=.052, 95%CI [.018, .097]) served as parallel mediators in this relationship, while parental phubbing did not.
Findings support the development of tailored interventions (e.g., digital literacy programs, emotion regulation skills training), such as launching an emotion regulation training program for campus freshmen, and evidence-based policies for mitigating aggression linked to short-video platforms.

Authors

• Jiawei Wang, Hong Kong Shue Yan University

• Bess Yin-Hung Lam, Hong Kong Shue Yan University