Desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming Flashcards
What is desensitisation?
Repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological and psychological arousal associated with anxiety aggression more likely
What is disinhibition?
Exposure to violent media validates the use of violence in real life because it undermines the social sanctions that usually inhibit such behaviour
What is cognitive priming?
Aggressive media (e.g. guns) act as cues for a schema of an aggressive behaviour – exposure to these cues in a similar context can trigger the memory leading to reproduction of the aggressive behaviour
What is research support for desensitisation?
Krahé et al. (2011)
What is research support for disinhibition?
Berkowitz and Alioto (1973)
What is research support for cognitive priming?
Bushman (1998)
What is the research support for desensitisation?
Krahé et al. (2011) showed participants either a violent or non -violent film clip whilst measuring physiological arousal using skin conductance.
Participants who were habitual viewers of violent media showed lower levels of arousal when watching violent film clips.
They also reported lower levels of anxious arousal. These lower levels of arousal correlated with unprovoked aggression (proactive aggression) in a ‘noise’ blast task.
What is the research support for disinhibition?
Berkowitz and Alioto (1973) found that participants who saw a film depicting aggression as vengeance (revenge) gave more (fake) electric shocks of longer duration to a confederate.
This suggests media violence may disinhibit aggressive behaviour when it’s presented as justified. Violence as vengeance is seen as justified and therefore makes aggressive behaviour more socially acceptable.
What is the research support for Cognitive priming?
Bushman (1998) had participants watch a 15 minute scene of either a violent film (Karate Kid III) or a non-violent film (Gorillas in the Mist).
Participants who watched the violent films had quicker reaction times to aggressive words than did those who had seen the non-violent film. Video content did not influence reaction times to non-aggressive words.
This suggests that scenes of violence in the media prime aggressive thoughts in memory, making them more accessible to viewers.
What is the strength of desensitisation?
Research support
Krahé et al. (2011) showed participants either a violent or non-violent film clips whilst measuring physiological arousal using skin conductance. Participants who were habitual viewers of violent media showed lower levels of arousal when watching violent film clips. They also reported lower levels of anxious arousal. This lower levels of arousal were correlated with unprovoked aggression (proactive aggression) in a ‘noise’ blast task.
Counter-argument: this research failed to find a link between media viewing, lower arousal and provoked (reactive aggression) which suggests that desensitisation may not explain the impact of violent media on all forms of aggressive behaviour.
What is the limitation of desensitisation?
Alternative explanation – catharsis
This is a psychodynamic theory which claims that viewing violent media acts as a safety valve mechanism, allowing people to release aggressive impulses without the need to behave violently.
What is the strength ofdisinhibition?
Research support
Berkowitz and Alioto (1973) found that participants who saw a film depicting aggression as vengeance (revenge) gave more (fake) electric shocks of longer duration to a confederate. This suggests that media violence may disinhibit aggressive behaviour when it is presented as justified. Vengeance is a powerful justification for violence and justified violence is more likely to be seen as socially acceptable.
What is the limitation of disinhibition?
Depends on other factors
The likelihood of disinhibition taking place is determined by factors to do with the viewer and the context in which the media is viewed. For example, younger children are more likely to be affected because they are more likely to be drawn into high-action violent episodes without considering the motives or consequences of the violence. Children growing up in households with strong norms against violence are unlikely to experience sufficient disinhibition for them to show aggressive behaviour, whereas the disinhibition effect is stronger in families where children experience physical punishment from their parents.
This suggests that the relationship between media violence and disinhibition is not a straight forward one and is mediated by social factors.
What is the strength of Cognitive priming?
Research support
Bushman (1998) had participant watch either a 15-minute segment of a violent film (Karate Kid III) or a non-violent film (Gorillas in the Mist). Participants who watched the violent film had quicker reaction times to aggressive words than did those who had seen the non-violent film. Video content did no influence reaction times to non-aggressive words. This reveals that scenes of violence in the media prime aggressive thoughts in memory making them more accessible to viewers.
What is the limitation of cognitive priming?
Less likely with less realistic media
Atkin (1983) found that film or game realism is an important factor in the relationship between exposure to violent media and the priming of aggressive thoughts and behaviour. He found higher levels of aggression from the viewing of more realistic violence. The fictional violence in some computer games, may not have the same priming effects as in games with more realistic violence.
This suggests that cognitive priming can only adequately explain aggression when it comes to realistic media and not unrealistic media.
