The Effects of Weapon Toys on Aggressive Behavior among Chinese Children: The Mediating Role of Aggressive Cognition
Abstract Background: The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between exposure to weapon toys and aggressive behavior. Methods: The study sample included 104 six-year-old kindergarten children. Half of them were randomly assigned to play with weapon toys (experimental group) or non-weapon toys (control group). A Semantic Classification Task (SCT) and a Competitive Reaction Time Task (CRTT) were employed to measure aggressive cognition and aggressive behavior. A randomized controlled study was performed and a 2 x 2 (Toys, Gender) Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) statistical test was used to evaluate the effect of toys on aggressive cognition (reaction times to weapon pictures) and behavior (noise intensity setting), controlling for age. Mediation analysis was also conducted to test the mediating role of aggressive cognition in this effect.Results: Results indicated that playing with weapon toys increased aggressive cognition and aggressive behavior. Specifically, boys were more likely than girls to exhibit aggressive behavior in the weapon toys condition, though girls did exhibit aggressive cognition. Mediation analysis indicated that the weapon toy effect on aggressive behavior was partially mediated by aggressive cognition. Conclusions: The main findings of the study suggest that boys may be considered as the target group for aggression intervention and reduction in the context of weapon toys. Practitioners can take away the weapon toys to reduce aggressive cognition, so as to decrease children’s aggressive behavior.