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Media influences on aggression - Coggle Diagram
Media influences on aggression
Desensitisation
Reduces the anxiety people usually feel about violence reducing physiological arousal
Someone may perceive it as more normal and be more likely to engage in violence themselves
Change in cognitive and effective reactions that would otherwise have occurred in the absence of desensitisations
Usually takes a long time as a result of numerous repeated exposures to violent films or computer games
A03:
S: Support by Carnagey, ppts either playeed a violent or non-violent video game for 20 mins then watched a 10 min film clip of real life violence while their heart rate and skin conductance response were monitored, those ppt who had previously played a violent video game had lower heart rate and skin conductance response whilst viewing the crime, this demonstrates physiological desensitisations to violence
L: Can be adaptive for individuals e.g for troops desensitisation to the horrors of combat makes these individuals more effective in their role, however to a violent stimuli may also be detrimental for both the individual and society, Busman and Anderson suggest that there are worrying consequences when individuals are desensitised to violence after exposure to violent media
Disinhibition
Watching or playing violent media may change their standards of what is considered acceptable behaviour
It can legitimise the use of violence by the individual in their own lives because it undermines the social sanctions that usually inhibit such behaviour
May have both an immediate effect and a long-term effect
Violence on TV or in a video game may trigger physiological arousal, which leads to greater probability of behaving aggressively and in prolonged exposure gives the message that violence is a normal part of everyday life
A03:
S: Research suggests that disinhibition is more likely in situations where viewers are not exposed to the negative consequences of violent behaviour e.g Goranson showed people a film of a boxing match where there were two alternative endings, one there were no consequences but in the second the loser was seen to taking a beating until he dies, ppt who don't see the negative side were ore likely to behave aggressively after viewing rather than those who did see it, this supports the suggestion that disinhibition may be far more likely in violent media where negative consequences arent made apparent
L: The likelihood of disinhibition taking place is determined by a number of factors, some of which relate to the viewers themselves, e.g younger children are more likely to be affected because they are more likely to be drawn into high-action violence episode without considering the motives or consequences of the violence, furthermore children growing up in households with strong norms against violence are unlikely to experience sufficient disinhibition for them to exhibit aggressive behaviour whereas it is more likely to those who experience physical punishment from their parents and where they identify more with violent heroes this demonstrates that the relationship between media violence and disinhibition is not straight forward
Cognitive Priming
Temporary increase in the accessibility of thoughts and ideas
Berkowitz proposed that when people are constantly exposed to violent media this activates thoughts or ideas about violence which in turn (i.e. prime) activate other aggressive thoughts through their association in memory pathways
Exposure to aggressive images acts as a script for how to behave aggressively, the script is stored in memory then triggered when a subsequent aggressive situation occurs
A03:
S: Bushman tested CPH, undergraduate ppt watched either 15 min segment of a violent or non-violent film, ppt who watched the violent film had faster reaction times to aggressive words than those who didn't see it, this suggests that exposure to violent media primes memories related to aggression
L: Atkin suggests that film or game realism is an important factor in the relationship between exposure to violent media and the priming of aggressive thoughts and behaviours, he found higher levels of aggression resulted from the viewing of more realistic or realistically perceived violence, the fictional violence in some computer games may not have had the same printing effect as games with more realistic violence, suggesting exposure to more realistic intense forms of aggressive versus cartoon influences the types and intensity of activated thoughts and ideas
A03 Overall:
S: Many studies use lab experiments, have a short term increase in levels of physiological arousal, hostile feelings and aggressive behaviour following violent video games this is due to strictly controlled nature of lab experiments when extraneous variables are controlled such as the length of time they play the video game for this means the research can be replicated which increases the reliability
L: However aggressive behaviour cannot be studied directly as this is not permitted on ethical grounds, frequently aggression is operationalised using artificial tasks, also aggression in a lab experiment are also unrealistic because they do not involve any retaliation this casts doubt on the validity of experimental studies
PA: Age restrictions on computer games, all games are age rated by the VSC and retailers that sell titles with ratings to children below the age limit will be subject to prosecution, this means the influence of media should be contained and not affect children's levels of aggression