L12- Desensitisation, Disinhibition And Cognitive Priming Flashcards
3 main theories of influences on behaviour of computer games
- Role of desensitisation
- Role of disinhibition
- Role of cognitive priming
What does desensitisation theory propose?
- with continual exposure to a stimulus , our responses to that stimulus are decreased
- not physiologically aroused when we should be
What happens if aggression is presented to us on a daily basis?
- reduction in our response to aggression
- under normal circumstances : sympathetic ns switches on in réponses to witnessing violence or aggression (heart rate increases, adrenaline released, stress response causes desire to remove ourselves from the object)
- viewing aggression= initiation of evolved ‘fight or flight’ response
Desensitisation- adaptive response
- evolved fight or flight to viewing aggressionv adaptive for ancestors, helps survival
- however, also adaptive for ancestors to become accustomed to environmental stimuli that are frequently encountered e.g. tree dweller tribes
- desensitisation can therefore also provide an adaptive response to the environment
Desensitisation- video games
- violence in many computer games
- desensitisation = response to this , can have negative effect
- may not respond to real aggression with any physiological arousal
- may be more likely to accept violence and aggression + respond with aggression when have the opportunity
Evaluation of desensitisation
+ Weisz and Earls - 86 males, 106 females uni students - 1 of 4 films depicting types of agg 1. Sexual against male 2. Sexual against a female 3. Physical 4. Neutral - asked to complete questionnaire measuring acceptance of interpersonal violence, rape myths, attraction to agg + levels if empathy - viewed rape trial, questionnaire = males (esp those who watched sexual agg films) more accepting of violence, attracted, less sympathetic, less likely to judge défendent as guilty of rape
- ecological validity- lab experiment- questionnaire (social desirability bias), questions validity- would it occur in real world? , less likely with real world percussions- fines, prison sentence
Disinhibition theory
- Proposes normal restraints are loosened after exposure to media violence
- agg behaviour becomes normalised, norms governing behaviour - non-acceptance to acceptance
- agg seen as ‘normal’ response in certain circumstances e,g. Revenge response = therefore e justified
- type of views agg (revenge) believed to have greater disinhibitory effect on consequential agg behaviour
Media in disinhibition
- Bandura= proposed learn how to behave from observational learning of role models (parents)
- as child grows, media more powerful role model- superheroes can provide agg role model, adult films (James Bond), role model to look up to and imitate
- agg levels normalised in these role models- child grow ups up with norms agg is socially acceptable as a response + more likely
- disinhibition process powerful if violence rewarded e.g. computer games = negative consequences from agg minimal
Evaluation of disinhibition
+ Berkowitz + Alioto - lab experiment - saw film depicting agg as revenge gave more electric shocks to confederate = agg more likely to occur if viewed agg is seen as an acceptable response = disinhibition more likely
+ practical application- American army use games as recruiting- dispaky interest in violence and agg + disihibited response to agg= beneficial for soldiers- more likely to respond aggressively- if didn’t, could threaten their survival + those they are protecting = not always a negative thing
Cognitive priming
-Proposes influence of agg in media provided individuals with ‘scripts’ For their responses and behaviour when they perceive environmental stimuli as agg
-priming effect of media images in previousky learnt behaviours or cognitive scheme
- activates memories and makes agg more likely
Computer games ans cognitive priming
-violent comp games may increase likelihood of agg in players with learned agg responses in past/ who hold aggressive schema
- play agg game, in potentially agg situation- rather than defusing situation, child has internal script that way to ‘win’ is through agg response = agg games prime individual to violence
-children from early on can have scripts to guide their behaviours - select script depending on situation - take part as actors - can occur automatically, no conscious thought
Evaluation of cognitive priming
+ Fischer + Greitemeyer - male participants who been exposed to aggressive song lyrics about women- more likely to give higher levels if hot chilli sauce to female confederates than male than those who heard neutral lyrics - found that misogynistic lyrics resulted in males recalling more negative things abord women + reporting higher levels of agg towards women - replicated with female participants ‘men hating lyrics’- similar results
- confounding variables in research - violent games prime violent behaviour more than non violent -BUT also more complex- complexity is confounding variable - complexity causes priming effect not violent - Zendle et al- when complexity controlled, priming effects of violent video games gone - affects validity
Evaluation for all
Desensitisation:
+ research support- Weisz + Earls- aggression in films
