Effects of Prosocial Cartoon Models on Aggressive Cognitions and Aggressive Behaviors

Abstract Although research has examined violent cartoon effects, little research has evaluated the effects of prosocial cartoons on kindergartners. Based on the general learning model (GLM) and social learning model (SLM), we examined how prosocial cartoon models affect aggressive cognitions and aggressive behaviors. A total of 174 children aged 5 and 6 years (50% girls) who had been nominated by their teacher and peers as aggressive were recruited from three Chinese kindergartens. Half of them were assigned to the experimental group to watch prosocial cartoons for five consecutive days, while the other half were assigned to the control group that did not watch cartoons. The modified semantic classification task (MSCT) and the competitive reaction time task (CRTT) were employed to measure aggressive cognitions and aggressive behaviors. Children who watched the prosocial cartoons displayed lower aggressive cognitions and aggressive behaviors than those who did not watch the cartoons. Specifically, watching prosocial cartoons reduced aggressive cognitions and aggressive behaviors more for boys than girls. Aggressive cognitions partially mediated the effect of prosocial cartoon viewing on aggressive behaviors.