Aggression

Question 1

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Catharsis Theory
(=easing/relaxation)

Answer 1

= acting aggressively or viewing aggression
purges angry feelings & aggressive impulses into harmless channels

-> false theory, but belief is real

Question 2

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Aim of Paper

Answer 2

• belief in catharsis increases attraction to violent games especially for people who want to get rid of anger

Question 3

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Experiment 1: Method

Answer 3

• reading pro-, anti-catharsis and control article
• rate interest & belief
• anger manipulation (essay writing)
• survey for violent games

Question 4

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Experiment 1: Results

Answer 4

• sign. interaction btw type of article & anger
• majority wanted to play violent games
• angry people who read pro-catharsis article, wanted most
• men wanted more than women

Question 5

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Experiment 2: Method

Answer 5

purpose: measure natural tendencies

- same procedure but without reading articles, but measuring the belief in catharsis

Question 6

Bushman & Whitaker
“Like a Magnet: Catharsis Beliefs Attract Angry People to Violent Video Games”

Experiment 2: (final) Results

Answer 6

• same as in Ex.1

- > BELIEF in catharsis, whether manipulated or measured, increases attraction to violent games in angry people

Question 7

Krahé & Bieneck
“The Effect of Music-Induced Mood on Aggressive Affect, Cognition and Behavior”

Cogn. neo-associated model

Answer 7

• aversive (unpleasant) stimuli give rise to negative feelings that evoke 2 immediate reactions: fight & flight

Question 8

Krahé & Bieneck
“The Effect of Music-Induced Mood on Aggressive Affect, Cognition and Behavior”

Results

Answer 8

• supporting escalating role of aversive music & de-escalating role of pleasant music on anger & aggression via music-induces mood
• pleasant music does inhibit accessibility of aggr. cognition (response latency towards agg. words)

Question 9

Greitemeyer & Mügge
“Video-Games do affect social outcomes: a meta-analytical review of the effects of violent & prosocial video game play”

Effects of Prosocial Games

Answer 9

• increase helping, decrease aggression
• increase positive affect & accessibility of positive thoughts
• decrease accessibility of aggressive thoughts

-> no sig. effect on arousal

Question 10

Greitemeyer & Mügge
“Video-Games do affect social outcomes: a meta-analytical review of the effects of violent & prosocial video game play”

Effects of Violent Games

Answer 10

• increase aggression
• (decrease helping behavior)
• increase aggr. thoughts
• (decrease empathy)
• > no sig. effect for relationship of prosocial cognition n& violent games
• > no sig. effect on arousal

Question 11

Greitemeyer & Mügge
“Video-Games do affect social outcomes: a meta-analytical review of the effects of violent & prosocial video game play”

How to counteract?

Answer 11

• involve prosocial part in violent game content
  = combination is less harmful
• playing cooperatively in a team
  = cooperative behavior counteracts neg. effects