Explanations of media influences Flashcards
What are the three explanations of media influences?
Cognitive priming
Disinhibition
Desensitisation
Define cognitive priming in reference to media and aggression.
Explains short-term effects of media violence. Temporary increase in accessibility of thoughts and ideas. Caused by lowering of threshold for activation of violent thoughts.
Give an example of cognitive priming.
Playing video game where player kills other characters. Primes thoughts of physical fighting. May lead to anger and motivation to harm others.
Why does prolonged exposure to violence lead to the likelihood of aggressive behaviour?
More long-term lowering of threshold. Makes aggressive thoughts and feelings more accessible constantly. These thoughts/feelings used to interpret social info, increasing likelihood of aggressive behaviour.
Where do we learn our social and moral messages from and how does disinhibition due to the media impact these messages?
Learn morals through social transmissions, including exposure to moral messages in the media.
Consuming violent media may change these standards of what is considered acceptable behaviour.
How can disinhibition have an effect in the short and long term?
Short: violence in tv triggers physiological arousal, leading to greater probability of aggressive behaviour as inhibitions are temporarily suppressed.
Long: prolonged exposure to media violence gives the message that violence is normal in everyday life.
According to disinhibition, why do children feel less inhibited by aggressive behaviour?
When violence is justified or undisputed on tv, viewers’ guilt/concern about consequences are reduced. Child feels less inhibited about being aggressive.
According to desensitisation, how does exposure to media violence impact upon behaviour?
Lead to aggressive behaviour by removing the anxiety associated with it. More media violence consumed = more acceptable aggressive behaviour for child. More likely to be aggressive.
What is the link between desensitisation and psychological arousal?
Desensitisation leads to reduction in physiological arousal when exposed repeatedly to media violence.
(AO3) What other factors have been found to impact cognitive priming?
The realism of the media form. Research found higher levels of aggression from viewing of more realistically perceived media. E.g. fictional cartoon-like violence did not have same priming effect as a graphically realistic violent video game. Shows other factors influence intensity and likelihood of priming.
(AO3) Why may there not be a direct relationship ship between disinhibition and aggression?
Influenced by other factors. Age: younger people more likely to be effected because they are more engrossed into media. Household values: children who experience physical punishment more likely to develop disinhibition than those with non-violent norms. Shows that relationship is more complex between disinhibition and aggression - influenced by multiple contextual and individual factors.
(AO3) What did Mullen and Linz find?
People considered desensitised were less likely to notice violence in real life, feel less sympathy for victims of violence and have less negative attitudes towards violence. All factors increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour. Support for desensitisation.
(AO3) Describe a positive real world application of the explanations of media influences.
Greater understanding means development of media literacy programs to counter effects is possible. Teaches children how to interpret media forms - stereotypes, unrealistic content, violent content. Causes individuals to be mindful of the effect of the media and to seek a range of media content. Creates healthy media environment and counters aggressive effects of media.
