According to research on the effects of media violence, which of the following is the most reasonable conclusion?

• A. Only individuals with pre-existing aggressive tendencies are affected by media violence.
• B. Media violence has no measurable impact on viewers' behavior or attitudes.
• C. Exposure to media violence can increase aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in viewers.
• D. Media violence consistently leads to violent criminal behavior in all viewers.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the research context by recognizing that studies on media violence examine how exposure to violent content influences viewers' psychological and behavioral responses.
2. Step 2: Identify the key variables involved: the independent variable is exposure to media violence, and the dependent variables are aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
3. Step 3: Review empirical findings which generally show that exposure to media violence is linked to an increase in aggressive cognitions, emotions, and actions, but not necessarily to violent criminal behavior in all viewers.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the options by comparing them to the evidence: the most reasonable conclusion is that media violence can increase aggression-related outcomes, rather than having no effect or only affecting certain individuals.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best-supported statement is that exposure to media violence can increase aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, reflecting the consensus in psychological research.