Explanations of Media Influences

Question 1

Describe desensitisation as an explanation of media influences

Answer 1

• Assumes that under normal conditions, anxiety about violence inhibits its use. But media violence leads to aggression be removing this anxiety.
• The more media violence a child watches, the more acceptable aggression becomes for them. Those desensitised to violence may then see it as more ‘normal’, and be more likely to engage in violence
• Desensitisation to media violence takes a long time

Question 2

Describe indications that desensitisation has occurred

Answer 2

• A reduction in physiological arousal (e.g. heart rate) when exposed to real violence after repeatedly seeing media violence (Linz et al)
• Change in cognitive and affective reactions. e.g. desensitised individuals are less likely to notice violence in real life, feel less sympathy for victims of violence, have less negative attitudes to violence. This all increases the likelihood of aggression in real life (Mullin and Linz)

Question 3

Describe disinhibition as an explanation of media influences

Answer 3

• Ideas of the acceptability of aggression is acquired through social transmission, e.g. moral messages on TV. So the justification of violence in the media is one way where children learn standards of acceptable behaviour.
• Violent media can change these standards of acceptable behaviour. It can legitimise the use of violence as it undermines the social sanctions that usually inhibit such behaviour.

Question 4

Outline the short terms effects of disinhibition

Answer 4

• Media violence triggers physiological arousal, which leads to a greater probability of aggression.
• In this aroused state, inhibitions are temporarily suppressed by the drive to act.

Question 5

Outline the long term effects of disinhibition

Answer 5

• Prolonged exposure to media violence gives the message that violence is a normal part of everyday life.
• When violence is justified or left unpunished on TV, the viewer’s guilt or concern about consequences is also reduced. The child then feels less inhibited about being aggressive again

Question 6

Outline cognitive priming as an explanation

Answer 6

• Berkowitz proposes this to explain to short-term effects of media violence.
• ‘Priming’ refers to a temporary increase in the accessibility to thoughts and ideas.

Question 7

Describe cognitive priming as an explanation

Answer 7

• When people are constantly exposed to media violence, this activates ideas about violence, which then activates (primes) other aggressive thoughts through their association on memory pathways
• So, a violent film can temporarily lower the threshold for activation for these thoughts, making them accessible for a short time
• Frequent activation through prolonged exposure to media violence results in a lowered activation threshold for aggressive thoughts, allowing them to accessed more readily and used to interpret information

Question 8

Give evaluation for desensitisation as an explanation of media influence (supporting evidence)

Answer 8

• Carnagey et al had participants play a violent or non-violent video game for and then watched a film with real-life violence while their heart rate and skin conductance response were monitored
• Those who had played the violent video games had a lower heart rate and skin conductance response while viewing the filmed real-life violence
• This shows that habitual violent media consumption leads to lower physiological arousal; thus supporting the desensitisation explanation

Question 9

Give evaluation for desensitisation as an explanation of media influence (may not be a complete explanation of media influences on aggression)

Answer 9

• Whilst evidence has found a link between media, lower arousal and increased proactive aggression, studies have failed to find this link to increased reactive aggression
• Krahe et al failed to find a link between media viewing, lower arousal and provoked (reactive) aggression
• So, alone, desensitisation is an incomplete explanation for how violent media consumption may lead to increased aggression for all types

Question 10

Give evaluation for disinhibition as an explanation of media influence (supporting evidence for the role of disinhibition in media influences)

Answer 10

• Berkowitz and Alioto found that participants who saw a film depicting aggression as vengeance (rightful revenge_ gave more (fake) elective shocks of longer duration to a confederate
• Suggests that media violence may disinhibit aggressive behaviour if it’s presented as justified (like vengeance).
• Shows the link between the removal of social constraints and subsequent behaviour; thus supporting the disinhibition explanation

Question 11

Give evaluation for disinhibition as an explanation of media influence (effects of disinhibition may depend on other factors)

Answer 11

• The likelihood of disinhibition taking place is determined by a number of factors, such as the viewers themselves or the context in which media is viewed
• e.g. children in homes with strong norms against violence are unlikely to experienced enough disinhibition for them to be aggressive, whereas the disinhibition effect is stronger in families where children experience physical punishment from their parents (Heath et al)
• Shows that the relationship between media violence and disinhibition isn’t a straightforward one, and is mediated by individual and social characteristics

Question 12

Give evaluation for cognitive priming as an explanation of media influence (supporting evidence)

Answer 12

• Bushman had participants watch a violent or non-violent film. Participants who had watched the violent film then had quicker reaction times to aggressive words than those who had seen the non-violent film. But, video content didn’t influence reaction times to non-aggressive words
• Provides support for the cognitive priming explanation, as scenes of violence in the media prime aggressive thoughts in memory, making them more accessible to viewers

Question 13

Give evaluation for cognitive priming as an explanation of media influence (may depend on the realism of aggression)

Answer 13

• Atkin suggests realism in a factor in the relationship between exposure to violent media and priming of aggressive thoughts. He found higher levels of aggression came from the viewing of more realism violence.
• Shows that exposure to realistic forms of aggression versus animated aggression may influence the types and intensity of activated thoughts and ideas, which may then manifest themselves in different ways.
• Therefore, the link between media and cognitive priming may not be as straightforward as research presents.