Aggression Flashcards
What is aggression?
‘Any form of behaviour directed toward the goal of harming/injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment’
(Baron and Richardson)
What is media violence?
‘Acts of physical aggression by one human or human-like character against another’
(Huesmann, 2007)
What is media?
Film, TV, video games, music (lyrics/videos), internet, books
Theories of aggression
Biologically predisposed versus learned behaviour
Social learning theory
Learning to be aggressive through reinforcement and imitation.
Aggressive behaviour is acquired via
1. Direct reinforcement
2. Indirect (vicarious) reinforcement
Media violence exposure problems
Rewarded/goes unpunished
Perpetrated by attractive characters
Desensitised/more accepting
Copycat violence
A general model of aggression
Social and biological
Anderson and Bushman (2002)
Individual and situational factors influences internal state (affect, cognition, arousal)
Then appraisal (thoughtful = assess situation versus impulsive)
Results in an aggressive or non-aggressive encounter
Non-violent versus violent games
Video game then story e.g. minor traffic accident, approach driver
Nonviolent video game-less likely to do or say something aggressive
Viewing violence impact a persons internal state
Real world??
Media consumption and content
By age 65-9 hours watching TV (Bushman and Huesmann, 2001)
Communications act 2003-9 pm TV watershed
violence and soaps increased (OFCOM, 2014)
Wilson et al. (2002)
100% of slapstick kids shows contain violence.
28.7% of the time devoted to violence.
48% social relationship shows contain violence.
60% of TV programs contain violence.
Meta analyses
Anderson and Bushman (2001), Ferguson (2007), Savage and Yancey (2008), Anderson et al. (2010).
Small effect size-does not deny relationship.
Violent video games = positive correlation expressive behaviour.
Anderson at Al. (violent video games = less empathic overtime/negative correlation with pro social behaviour.
Factors that may increase the effects of media violence
Rewarding aggressor
Attractiveness of aggressor
Justification of aggression, e.g. good guy
Real life cues – feeling involved, blurs distinction between observer and perpetrator
Similarity between observer and perpetrator
Realistic violence
Aggressive individuals
Video games
Active player versus passive viewer-increased effect of video game violence
violent video games activate aggressive thoughts/feelings and decreases prosocial behaviour (Anderson and Bushman, 2001)
Gender-increased male aggressive behaviour more than female (Barthalow and Anderson, 2002)
Indirect aggression
Gossiping, backbiting, spreading rumours (Lagerspetz at al., 1988)
92% of TV shows contain it (Coyne and Archer, 2004)
Indirect aggressive more justified/attractive/rewarded
Viewing indirect aggression immediately can have immediate impact on subsequent aggression (Coyne at al. 2004)
Criticisms
Correlational – can’t say one causes other e.g. people who prefer violence TV/video games more aggressive
Moderating variables, e.g. gender, trait, aggressiveness, content. Can only control some of these.
Publication bias-research that doesn’t fit hypotheses not published/included in meta analysis.
Real world application to criminal violence?
Do more violent people prefer violent content?
Other risk factors for aggression
Personal variables:
Frustration
Anger/hostility
Personality, e.g. narcissism, emotional stability
Gender differences
ACEs
Situation variables:
Frustration
Provocation
Aggressive cues-priming
Social exclusion/rejection
Alcohol
Physical environment characteristics, e.g. heat/crowding/noise
