Desensitisation, Disinhibition, Cognitive Priming AO1 & AO3 (Media Influences) Flashcards
What is Desensitisation?
When the repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological and psychological arousal that is associated with anxiety
What is physiological arousal associated with?
the sympathetic nervous system
What does Funk et al claim that desensitisation causes?
the belief that aggression is an socially acceptable way to resolve conflict
What is Disinhibition?
When normal social constraints are weakened by environmental triggers causing behaviours to seem temporarily socially acceptable
Social and psychological inhabitations against aggression are…
powerful
What is Cognitive Priming?
When violent images provide a ready-made script about aggression, these are then triggered by aggressive cues
What kind of process is cognitive priming?
An automatic process - our behaviour is directed w/o our awareness
Who conducted a lab study into Desensitisation?
Weisz and Earls
What was Weisz and Earl’s procedure?
Ppts watched ‘Straw Dogs’ then a re-enactment of a rape trial
control - watched non-sexually violent film
What did Weisz and Earl find?
Male ppts showed greater acceptance of rape myths and sexual aggression, they had less sympathy for the victim and were less likely to find the defendant guilty.
No effect of film type on women ppts
Who conducted a study into cognitive priming?
Greitemeyer
What was Greitemeyer’s procedure?
Male ppts listened to sogs w/ aggressively derogatory lyrics about women.
Listened also to neutral lyrics
What did Greitemeyer find?
Ppts recalled more negative qualities about women and behaved more aggressively toward the female confederate.
Similar results with female ppts and ‘man-hating songs’
Whose research supports Desensitisation?
What did they do?
AO3
Krahe et al - showed ppts violent film clips and measured their physiological arousal through skin conductance.
Ppts that regularly viewed violent media showed lower levels of arousal and high levels of pleasure.
Increases credibility
Whose research supports Disinhibition?
What did they do?
AO3
Berkowitz and Alioto - ppts that watched a film that showed aggression as vengeance gave more fake shocks that lasted longer.
So, justification of aggression = socially acceptable and increase validity
