Carruthers M, Taggart P
Br Med J. 1973 Aug 18;3(5876):384-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5876.384.
In a search for a reproducible means of evoking different types of emotional stress it was found that in spite of increased adrenaline secretion slowing of the heart occurred when watching violent television programmes. Further evidence of increased vagal tone was provided by the "sinus arrhythmia" effect, a widening of the gap between the maximum and minimum heart rates during the respiratory cycle in parts of the humour, violence, and suspense sections of the television programme.Groups of people taken to see two particularly violent films showed similar evidence suggesting vagal overactivity, together with increases in plasma free fatty acids and decreases in triglycerides. As these changes occurred even with beta-blockade it is suggested that they might be caused by non-sympathetically mediated changes in the levels of hormones, such as growth hormone, producing lipolysis.The ability to assess objectively an individual's reaction to viewing violence might make it possible to judge the likely social impact of violent films and television programmes.
在寻找一种可重复引发不同类型情绪压力的方法时，发现尽管观看暴力电视节目时肾上腺素分泌增加，但仍出现了心率减慢的情况。电视节目中幽默、暴力和悬疑部分的“窦性心律失常”效应进一步证明了迷走神经张力的增加，即呼吸周期中最大心率与最小心率之间的差距在这些部分有所扩大。观看两部特别暴力电影的人群也显示出类似的迷走神经活动过度的证据，同时血浆游离脂肪酸增加，甘油三酯减少。由于即使在使用β受体阻滞剂的情况下这些变化仍会发生，因此有人认为它们可能是由非交感神经介导的激素水平变化引起的，例如生长激素导致脂肪分解。客观评估个体对观看暴力内容反应的能力可能使判断暴力电影和电视节目的可能社会影响成为可能。
