Aggression: Media influences of aggression Flashcards
What is the main area of focus within the influence of media on aggression?
the effect of computer games
Who provides evidence for video games having an influence on aggression?
Describe this evidence
Anderson et al 2010-meta analysis of 136 studies which included experimental , correlational and longitudinal studies
found exposure to violent video games was associated with increased aggressive behaviour/thoughts/feelings in both males and females across cultures
What are the 3 possible mechanisms for the effects of computer games
desensitisation
disinhibition
cognitive priming
Describe the desensitisation mechanism
make 3 points
-witnessing violent actions for first time will lead to sympathetic arousal associated with feelings of anxiety
-repeated exposure to aggressive stimuli through use of video games decreases levels of arousal and people become habituated to the violence
-makes aggression more likely as they have a reduced emotional/physiological reaction to it
Describe the disinhibition mechanism for aggression
make 3 points
-normally aggression is inhibited as violent behaviour is viewed as harmful and antisocial
-exposure to violent media lowers these inhibitions so people behave a way they normally wouldn’t
-aggressive behaviour is often made to appear socially acceptable in games and violence is often rewarded
Describe the cognitive priming mechanism of aggression
make 3 points
-repeated viewing of aggressive media can provide people with a script for how situations might play out
-this script is stored and becomes part of the individuals schema , which can be activated when the appropriate cues are present
-aggression is more likely in players who hold an aggressive schema as they are ‘primed’ and ready to behave aggressively
Who provides supporting evidence for the desensitisation mechanism?
Krahe et al 2011-showed ppts violent film clips whilst measuring their physiological arousal
-ppts that were habituated viewers showed lower levels of arousal which was correlated with aggression in a noise blast test
-this suggests exposure to violent games does desensitise individuals
Who provides supporting evidence for the disinhibition mechanism?
Berkowitz and Alioto 1973-found ppts who saw a film depicting aggression as a way of getting revenge gave more electric shocks of a longer duration to a ‘confederate’
this suggests media aggression may disinhibit aggressive behaviour when it appears justified
Who provides supporting evidence for the cognitive priming mechanism?
Fisher and Greitemeyer 2006-made male ppts listen to songs featuring aggressive derogatory lyrics about women
ppts recalled more negative qualities about women and behaved more aggressively towards a female confederate than those who listened to neutral music
this suggests that aggressive media does provide a script that primes people to behave aggressively
Who provides contradictory evidence for media influences on aggression?
Tear and Nielsen 2014-120 undergraduate volunteers played a very violent/violent/non violent game and were assessed for prosocial behaviour (based on how much they donated to charity)
ppts responded in similar ways regardless of the game they played , suggesting violent video game effects are less clear than originally thought
Give a general strength of research into media influences of aggression
+prac apps , knowledge of potential negative effects on behaviour has led to development of age restrictions on games , which reduces the chances of aggressive behaviours being replicated , adding external validity to the ideas
Give 2 more general weaknesses of research into media influences of aggression
-other explanations , the mechanisms do not consider the individual differences in susceptibility to aggression , for example it could be that individuals have to be predisposed to aggression (MAOA) so video games may not have same effect on all people
-deterministic , individuals should have free will over whether playing computer games makes them aggressive or not
