CANADIANS BELIEF IN CATHARSIS

A national sample (N = 3,815) of 15 to 19-year-old Canadian high schoo l students responded to a questionnaire that assessed attitudes toward contemporary social problems, e.g., violence in schools, against wome n and that associated with youth gangs. Beliefs in catharsis were meas ured by asking respondents to indicate the extent to which participati ng in, and observing, aggression, reduces one's level of aggression. M ales provided stronger support than females for the beliefs that parti cipation in, and the observation of, aggressive activity reduces subse quent aggression. The perceived seriousness of social problems that in volve elements of violence was unrelated to beliefs about participatio n in aggressive activity. However, a strong pattern of associations de monstrated that those holding cathartic beliefs with respect to the ob servation of aggression perceived the social problems as less serious.