Audience Interpretations of Media Violence, Effects of

One of the most important variables in understanding the effects of violent media content is how individual audience members interpret said content. As discussed in this entry, audience interpretations can vary based on the cultural environment of a media production, the critical reception of violent content, or the shared schemas that are invoked by the presence of constructed social symbols and activities. Mainly studied in the scholarly tradition of reception studies, audience interpretations of violence have become increasingly important to social scientists. Additionally, understanding how audiences understand violence can aid greatly in the development of media literacy interventions designed to interrupt or even eliminate the potential negative effects of exposure to violent content.