Explinations of media influences Flashcards
What are the three explinations of media influences
Desensitisation, Disinhibition and Cognitive Priming
What is the idea behind desensitisation
The explination assumes that, under normal conditions, anxiety about violence inhibits it’s use. Media violence may remove this anxiety and increase aggressive behaviour. The more televised violence a child consumes, the more acceptable violence becomes, and they may see aggression as ‘normal’. This happens over a long time
What is are indications that desensitisation has occurred
A reduction in physiological arousal when exposed to real violence after repeatedly having been exposed to media violence.
There are also changes in cognitive and affective reactions that would happen if not for desensitisation. For example, desensitised individuals are less likely to notice real life violence, feel less sympathy for victims and have less negative attitudes towards violence
What is the idea behind disinhibition
Watching or engaging with violent media may change the standards of what is acceptable behaviour, as the ideas of acceptability are primarily acquired through social transmission. Exposure to violent media can legitimise the use of violence by the individual in thier own lives because it undermines social sanction inhibiting the behavior
What are disinhibition’s short and long term effects
Violence on TV and in games triggers psychological arousal. In this state inhibitions are temporarily suppressed by the drive to act, increasing likelyhood of aggression
In the Longer term, prolonged exposure to media violence violence gives the message that violence is a normal part of everday life, and when violence is justified or unpunished on TV, the viewers guilt or concern about consequences is reduced
What is the idea behind cognitive priming
Proposed by Berkowitz to explain the short term effects of media violence. ‘Priming’ refers to a temporary increases in the accessibility of thoughts and ideas. He argued that when constantly exposed to media violence, this activates thoughts of violence which prime other aggressive thoughts through their association in memory pathways
What supports priming as an explination
Zelli et al found that priming by aggressive stimuli infleunced individuals to make hostile attributions about the behaviour of other people, increasing likelyhood of aggressive behaviour
Why can desensitisation be good (eval)
It can be adaptive, for example for soldiers, desensitisation to the horrors of combat make them more effective in their role. However this can still have worrying consequences on society overall, with Bushman and Anderson finding that desensitisation can reduce helping behaviour that might otherwise be offered to others in distress. This suggests desensitisation may make people ‘comfortably numb’ to pain and suffering of others and consequently less helpful
What is research support for cognitive priming (eval)
Bushman studied 200 male and female undergraduate students having them watch either a 15 minute segment of a violent film or a non-violent film. Those who watched the violent film had quicker reaction times to aggressive words than did those who had watched the non-violent films.
Who found that they could prime undergrads to fight violent words
Bushman
Why might disinhibition actually rely on other factors (eval)
Likelyhood of disinhibition relies on many other factors, for example younger children are more likley to be affected because they are more likely to be drawn into high action violent episodes without considering motives or consequences of the violence. Kids growing up in strong norms against violence are unlikely to experience sufficient disinhibition to exhibit aggressive behaviour, or the opposite when children experience physical punishment
Why do the negative consequences of disinhibiton make it less likely (eval)
Disinhibition is less likely when a person is also exposed to the negative consequences of violent behaviour. For example, Goranson showed a film of a boxing match with two endings, in one there was no apparent consequence, and in the other the loser of the fight ended up dying. Those who didn’t see the negative consequences were more likely to behave aggressively. Suggests negative consequences should be made apparent to viewer
Who showed people a video of a boxer being beaten to death
Goranson
