Explanation of media influences Flashcards
What are the 3 ways which media exposure to violence might lead to aggression?
- Desensitisation
- Disinhibition
- Cognitive priming
What is desensitisation?
exposure to media violence reduces anxiety about violence
What is disinhibition?
exposure to media violence changes standards of what is considered to be acceptable behaviour
What is cognitive priming?
Lowers the threshold for the activation of violent thought
What does cognitive priming explain?
Explains the short-term effects of media violence
How does cognitive priming work?
When exposed to constant violent media, this activates thoughts or ideas about violence which activates (prime) other aggressive thoughts through their association in memory pathway.
Give example of cognitive priming
- Play computer game in which the player ‘kills’ other characters may prime thoughts of physical fighting and violence
- which may then lead to feelings of anger and motivation to harm others
Why does prolonged exposure to violence lead to the likelihood of aggressive behaviour?
- more accessible a thought is the more likely to be used to interpret a situation
- prolonged exposure = lowered activation threshold for aggressive thoughts (accessed more easily)
What did Zeli et al find?
Priming by aggressive stimuli influenced individuals to make hostile attributions about the behaviour of other people
How does hostile attributions lead to aggression?
increases the likelihood of aggressive behaviour
Where do we learn our social/ moral messgaes from?
from TV or other media
How does violent media impact these social/moral messages?
- watching violent media may change the standards of what is acceptable
- legitimise the use of violence by the individual in their own lives
How can disinhibition have a short-term effect?
- violent video games trigger physiological arousal
- when aroused inhibitions are repressed temporarily (by the drive to act aggressive)
How can disinhibition have an effect in the long-term?
exposed violent media makes them think that it’s normal to act aggressive everyday
According to disinhibition why do children feel less inhibited by aggressive behaviour?
feel less inhibited when violence is justified or left unpunished on TV
- viewers guilt is reduced
According to desensitisation, how does more exposure to violence impact upon behaviour?
- under normal conditions anxiety about violence is present
- media violence can lead to the removal of anxiety
- more violent media = more normal/acceptable aggression becomes
What happens if there is frequent viewing of violent media for children?
- children less anxious towards violence
- normalises and increases the likelihood of them producing aggressive behaviour
What are the links between desensitisation and physiological arousal?
reduction in physiological arousal when exposed to real life violence after being exposed to violent media
What did Mullen and Linz find?
- change in cognitive + affective reactions due to desensitisation
- less likely to notice violence in real life
- feels less sympathy for the victim
- increases the likelihood of them being violent themeselves
A03 Describe research in support of desensitisation
- Research support
- Carnagey et al provided evidence for the claim that playing violent games produced physiological desensitisation
- i.e. showing less physiological arousal to violence in the real world
- ppts played either violent or non-violent video game
- then watched 10 min clip containing scenes of RL violence
- heart rate and skin conductance was measured (physiological arousal)
- violent game = lower heart rate/ skin conductance
A03 Does it matter how realistic a film or game is with regard to its relationship with later aggression?
