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Research Project “Aggression measurement”
This individual research project was focused on aggression measurement of the children.
The study used an Experimental and Longitudinal experiments. The groups of children were
randomized: different ages, genders and from different families with different social levels. There
was an equal amount of boys and girls ages 3-7. Two groups in the experiment such as testing and
control groups participated. The hypothesis of this experiment was “How happy or bloody cartoons
can influence and stimulate children’s aggressive behavior.” The bloody cartoon “Dark vessel”
was about rife with robot murder, mysticism, reincarnation, and revenge and “Tarzan II” was a
comic funny cartoon about an awkward young kid who wanted to find himself. During the test,
children’s reactions and behaviors were absorbed and recorded. Also, after each show, the children
answered questions, which were designed for identification, judgment, like or dislike, interesting
or boring of cartoons characters. Also, for the study the collateral data such as school records,
spouses, teachers and friends interviews, were used as well. In addition, the statistics of violations
in the Kings County were gathered and recorded.
Sylvan Tomkins - psychologist states, “The only emotion that can sustain long-term
constructive or creative endeavors is interest,” is an explanation of the children’s emotions.
Moreover, Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Weill
Medical College, Cornell University and the author of Pride and Joy: A Guide to Understanding
Your Child's Emotions and Solving Family Problems. He states that, “Emotions are not just
feelings. In childhood and throughout life, our emotions guide our thoughts and our imagination,
our behavior and our moral judgments.”
The used theories in the study were: Erik Erikson “8 stages of social emotional growth
from infancy to adulthood. Such: trust, self-control, socially and academically to be competent,”
Jean Piaget, “Schemas formed and revised by relating experiences,” Denham&Wyatt, “Children’s
emotion can be changed or coached by their parents,” Vygotsky’s theory about Zone of proximal
development states, “Level of additional responsibility child can accept with assistance of an able
instructor,” and parenting styles.
Moreover, according to the Shenk, “Heredity is not straightforward, parents do pass on
altered DNA to children with additional instructional material known as epigenetic. From
generation to generation gene don’t change, but the epigenetic instruction can change. So, lifestyle
can alter heredity.”
It was concluded that boys were more likely to be seriously engaged to the physical
violation, unlike the girls who were more likely to be engaged in an indirect form of the violation.
It was predicted that children, who chose to watch the aggressive cartoon, would be stimulated
towards aggression. The level of aggression of these children would be more likely to increase in
adulthood, in contrast to children who wanted to watch a happy cartoon.
From the school report of performance, it was noticed that children who showed low verbal
skills, higher subjective behavior, and low accomplishment are more likely to have been exposed
to domestic violence than children who were opposed to them.
In this study the targets of the project aren’t just the children or students from ages 3-7,
but rather their parents and teachers in kindergartens, pre-schools and schools of Kings County
Community. The study endeavors to teach and improve parenting styles and pedagogical skills,
and to prepare perfect, safe and healthy environment for children’s growth (development of
neighborhood, and community), and also, how to build successful strategies for reducing
exposure of aggression in the children’s early childhood.