Mixed messages, mixed outcomes: the effects of reconciliation and retaliation story endings on aggression

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of reconciliation and retaliation story endings on subsequent aggressive affect and behavior. Design/methodology/approach Participants took part in two ostensibly unrelated studies. The first involved reading a violent story, attributed to a biblical or secular source, which ended in either brutal retaliation or peaceful reconciliation. They then took part in a second study in which they completed measures of aggressive affect and behavior. Findings Participants told that their stories came from a secular source experienced a more aggressive affect than those told that their stories came from a biblical source. In terms of behavioral aggression, a significant difference in effect of the story ending on males and females emerged. Females who read the reconciliation ending had lower levels of behavioral aggression than females who read the retaliation ending. Conversely, males who read the reconciliation ending had higher levels of behavioral aggression than males who read the retaliation ending. Research limitations/implications These findings suggest that media depictions of prosocial reactions to unprovoked aggression may not reduce aggression in men. Practical implications Results are discussed in terms of moral values espoused by women and men and suggest that anti-violence messages may be strengthened to the extent they address the values important to both. Originality/value This study extends research on violent media exposure to a burgeoning literature on reading violent content.