A study was conducted to investigate the impact certain cognitive styles or structures have in mediating the influence of aggressive television on young boys. Ss were 143 white middle class boys: 36 were 5 1/2-year-old kindergarteners; 30 were 6 1/2-year-old first graders; 36 were 7 1/2-year-old second graders; and 41 were 8 1/2-year-old third graders. One-third of the Ss at each age level were exposed to an experimental condition of a 6-minute aggressive TV film; one-third were exposed to an experimental condition of a 6-minute nonaggressive film; and one-third were assigned to a no-film control group. Following exposure, an aggression measure was obtained in the guise of a guessing game played with an experimenter acting as a confederate. Each S was given the option of exposing the confederate to a noxious noise whenever he made an incorrect guess. Analyses of variance revealed that: (1) the statistically reliable differences in aggression between the experimental film conditions were attributable to differences among the 6 1/2- and 7 1/2-year-old Ss; (2) younger children were significantly more aggressive than the older; and (3) the level of cognitive functioning was more differentiated, organized, elaborated and articulated as a function of maturity. Results support the premise that the effect of TV exposure depends not only on the content but also on the child's cognitive style and way of responding to the environment in general. (KM)