Media Influences on Aggression

Media Influences on Aggression

1. Effects of computer games

   • exposure to violence in games may desensitise people to the games
   • +ve reinforcement playing the game bc you're getting points n praise for using violence
   • catharsis argues that computer games can act as an outlet for AG
   • Research&Evaluation
     • the relationship to physical AG was influenced by enjoyment of TV violence, perception of reality n identification to violent tv heros
     • relationship to verbal AG was mediated by enjoyment of TV violence but not other factors
     • children who identified w violent tv heroes n watched violent tv were more physically AG
     • Exposure to tv violence linked to physical AG - behaviour can be imitated (SLT)
       • shows the long term link for slt
     • inhibition is when a person acts more AG due to being lost in the media
       • disinhibition is when someone's perception of reality is low
     • measurements use hypothetical scenarios - low predictive validity + lacks mundane realism, not how someone may act in everyday life
     • research is correlational so cause n effect/relationship can't be established
     • questionnaires are biased due to participants having social disireabilty bias
     • brain scanning found adolescents playing video games had decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex w is linked to control
       • also had increased activation in emotion regions like amygdala
       • Leads to AG
     • some adolescent males playing video games cause a relief of AG and helps them feel calmer - outlet
     • research only shows short term effects of playing video games not long term so not valid
     • affects people diff, young children are more impacted than adults - can't be generalised

2. Role of Desensitisation

   • the more as someone is exposed to the media that provokes fear, the less they are affected by that media
     • emotional response is reduced by exposure
   • ppl become used to the level of violence n their emotional, behavioural, cognitive response reduce
   • continual use of a computer game can weaken ppl's revulsion to violence
     • more likely to act AG bc reduced emotional response to it
   • Reseatch&Evaluation
     • children became more tolerant to violence in films as violence increased - desense effect
     • indivds playing video games took longer to help someone injured in a fight than those who didnt play
       • they were desense bc fight didn't impact them as much as those who didnt play
         • desense has a short term effect
     • link between desense n exposure to media violence is more complex as findings are v mixed
     • if someone has a lower level to a violent stimuli then they may be less inclined to act in a violent manner
       • violence n AG are underpinned by high emotion

3. Role of Disinhibition

   • uncharateristic behaviour of an individ whilst playing a game
   • disinhibition effect
     • 1)Anonymity and Invisibility - responsiblities of behaviour is perceived as reduced so can act more AG
     • 2) Solipsistic Introjection - when player becomes cognitively merged w actor in the game so they're not thinking as themseleves but as the actor
     • 3) Minimisation of Authority - in games there's no law enforcments so any criminal acts would go unpunished in the virtual world
   • Research&Evaluation
     • Disinhibition of responsibility showed that the more dehumanised a person was, the more punitive their behaviour was
       • AG can be due to dehuminsation rather than disinhibition
     • not all forms of media may provoke disihibition however a lot of researcher bias towards computer games
       • strongest effects in computer gaming
     • effect may only be there when engaging with the media but not when away from the media
     • applicability of research isn't widespread due to narrow no of people that are fully engaged in playing n don't get distracted by external stimuli

4. Role of Cognitive Priming

   • the idea that we may become exposed to cues on TV or games and those cues can trigger behaviour in us
     • pro social or antisocial behaviour
       • we watch someone being awarded for their good work - we're inspired for a short time
       • we watch an antisocial show, we may display AG behaviour due to negve effects
   • Research&Evaluation
     • fMRI brain scans of children watching violence increased activity in brain areas assiociated w emotion + personal memories
       • the memories formed could react to cues which would prompt AG behaviour
     • ppl who overheard a 'prosocial' message on the radio were more cooperative than those who didn't hear the bulletin
       • a pro-social effect of coginitive priming of good news
     • research is mixed to whether specific or general behaviours are effected by cog priming - effect is unclear
     • hard to establish cause and effect - only two factors involved that make it correlational
     • may depend on personality type if they are more likely to do one behaviour than another - hard to get an AG person to do pro social behaviours
     • a reductionist theory bc doesn't take into account other factors like the mediating factors