3 - Media Influence On Aggression (TV/Film + Computer Games)

Question 1

Define media

Answer 1

Communication channels, e.g. TV, film, computer games

Question 2

What are the 2 ways that TV/film can influence aggression?

Answer 2

• Excessive amount watched -> More aggressive behaviour

- Violent content watched -> More aggressive behaviour

Question 3

How does the amount of TV/film watched influence aggression?

Answer 3

Higher amount watched -> Higher aggression levels

Question 4

How does the content of TV/film watched influence aggression?

Answer 4

More violent content watched -> More aggressive behaviour

Question 5

Explain how the amount of TV/film watched influences aggressive behaviour

Answer 5

Indirect link

More watched -> reduced socialising + poor educational achievement -> more aggression

Question 6

What research supports the role of the amount of TV/film watched on aggressive behaviour?

Answer 6

Robertson et al

• Longitudinal study
• Studied 1037 ppts from NZ
• Measured amount of TV/film watched at regular intervals up to age 26
• Found: greater amount watched led to more aggressive behaviour (measured by convicted crimes) + more diagnosis of ASPD
• Concluded that amount watched was more influential than content

Question 7

Explain how the content of TV/film watched influences aggressive behaviour

Answer 7

Direct link

Aggressive characters act as aggressive models, imitated through SLT

Question 8

What research supports the role of the content of TV/film watched on aggressive behaviour?

Answer 8

Bandura et al

• Replicated Bobo Doll study
• Child ppts watched on-screen interaction with Bobo Doll
• Findings were similar: aggressive condition imitated aggressive behaviour in media

Question 9

How much variance in aggression did Paik + Comstock estimate through meta-analysis that TV/film accounted for?

Answer 9

1-10% variance

Question 10

Which type of media is thought to have the greatest impact on aggression levels?

Answer 10

Computer games

Question 11

Why does TV/film have a lesser impact on aggression levels?

Answer 11

People take a passive role in watching

Question 12

How do computer games affect aggressive behaviour?

Answer 12

Playing a lot on aggressive/violent computer games leads to more aggressive behaviour

Question 13

Why do computer games have a greater influence on aggressive behaviour than TV/film?

Answer 13

• People take an active role

- Game playing is directly rewarding, so aggressive behaviour is reinforced via operant conditioning

Question 14

What two pieces of research support the role of computer games in aggression?

Answer 14

Bartholow + Anderson
- Lab study
- 2 groups played for 10 mins
(Group 1: Mortal Kombat - aggressive game)
(Group 2: PGA Tournament Golf - non-aggressive game)
- Both groups did Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Task
- Group 1 (aggressive condition) selected a louder noise (5.97dB compared to Group 2’s 4.6dB)

DeLisi et al

• Correlational study
• Structured interview of 227 juvenile offenders
• Asked about aggression + violent video games played
• Found: positive correlation between amount of time spent playing violent video games + aggression levels

Question 15

What is the Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Task?

Answer 15

• Lab measure of aggression
• Blasts of white noise given at chosen volumes to punish an ‘opponent’
• The louder the volume selected, the higher aggression

Question 16

Give 4 evaluation points for the effects of the media (TV, film, computer games) on aggression

Answer 16

POS:
Conclusions supported by previously accepted theories
- Conclusions supported by Bandura’s SLT
- Widely accepted that SLT can enable children to ‘learn’ aggressive behaviour via in-person imitation
- Has face validity that aggressive media models can be similarly imitated
- So, validity of conclusions boosted by link to previous theories

NEG:
No universally accepted way of defining/measuring aggression
- Aggression is defined + measured differently by different research
- E.g. Robertson et al - used criminal convictions + Bartholow + Anderson - used Taylor Competitive Reaction Times Test
- Studies hard to compare, so its hard to make uniform conclusions about the ambiguous term ‘aggression’

Methodological issues with supporting research

• E.g. Robertson et al - long term study, greater potential for CVs (e.g. change of role models) which may also influence aggression
• E.g. Bartholow + Anderson - games different in more ways than violence level, so hard to establish cause and effect
• So, issues with methodology lowers findings’ validity

Not all research says media causes aggression

• Some supporting research is correlation
• E.g. DeLisi - correlation between offenders + time playing games
• Relationship’s direction may be inverse (juvenile offenders may have a greater preference for violent computer games)
• So, may be invalid to suggest media causes aggression if not all research establishes this causal relationship