FINAL 5 Flashcards
Copycat Crimes
Crimes mimicking highly publicized incidents.
Contagion Effect
Phenomenon where exposure to media coverage of violence inspires similar behaviors in others.
Yokota and Thompson’s (2000) Analysis
Purpose: Analyze the presence of violence in G-rated animated films.
Findings: All 74 G-rated films contained at least one scene of violence.
Socialization Hypothesis:
Watching violent media causes increased aggression.
Selection Hypothesis:
Naturally aggressive individuals prefer violent media.
Huesmann et al. (2003) Study
Aggressive kids watched more violent TV and liked violent characters.
Coyne et al. (2008) Study
Method:
Participants watched one of three films:
High physical violence (Kill Bill)
High relational aggression (Mean Girls)
Non-aggressive control film
Results:
Viewers of violent films:
Delivered stronger noise blasts to innocent confederates.
Gave more negative evaluations to annoying confederates.
MacBeth (2006)
Study Context
Location: Small Northern town in Canada (“Notel”)
Time Period: Early 1970s
Method
Initial Measure: Aggression levels among children before TV introduction.
Comparison: Aggression levels compared with two similar towns that already had TV.
Follow-Up: Aggression levels measured two years after TV introduction.
Findings
Result: After two years with TV, children’s aggression in Notel increased to match levels in the comparison towns.
Video games
Might have more of an impact than TV violence because players are:
a) actively involved in planning & carrying out aggressive acts
b) reinforced for successful symbolic violence
Anderson et al. (2010)
Meta-analysis combining data from 381 studies (>130,000 Ps!)
Violent video game playing increased aggression:
For children, adolescents, and young adult
Across 3 research designs (correlational, experimental, and longitudinal)
Bushman & Anderson (2009)
Condition 1: Ps played violent video game for 20 min’s
Condition 2: non-violent video game
Heard fight occur in hall; injured confederate called for help
D.V. = time before P came to help
Violent gamers took much longer to help
Vega & Malamuth (2007)
Findings:
High consumption of violent pornography predicts sexual aggressiveness.
Strong link between violent pornography use and sexual aggressiveness even after controlling for general hostility.
Greitemeyer and McLatchie (2011)
Results:
Participants who played violent video games were more likely to see others as less human
The more violent/realistic, the bigger the effect
Higher dehumanization led to increased aggression.
Challenges the Catharsis Hypothesis
Donnerstein and Berkowitz (1981)
men who watched violent pornography gave shocks to a female confederate who had angered them that were twice as intense as the shocks given by men in the other two conditions.
How Media Violence Might Affect Viewers’ Aggression
Weakened Inhibitions
Watching violence reduces learned inhibitions against aggressive behavior.
Imitation
People mimic violent acts they see, especially if the character is rewarded or justified.
Priming
Watching violence makes aggressive thoughts and responses more likely and easily accessible.
Desensitization
Reduced emotional response to violence, making it easier to tolerate and possibly enact aggression.
“Mean world” Syndrome
people may perceive the world to be more dangerous than it is. This is due to long-term moderate to heavy exposure to violence-related content in mass media.
