Media Influences

Question 1

Bartholow & Anderson (2002)

Answer 1

Lab study found students who played the violent computer game for 10 mins gave significantly higher noise levels as punishment to opponent

Question 2

Delisi (2013)

Answer 2

Correlational study found aggressive behaviour in junior offenders was significantly correlated with how often they played violent computer games

Question 3

Robertson (2013)

Answer 3

Longitudinal study found time spent watching TV was a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour in adulthood. Those who watched most TV most likely to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder

Question 4

Anderson (2001)

Answer 4

Meta analysis of 136 studies found exposure to violent games associated with increases in aggressive behaviour, thoughts and feelings

Question 5

Evaluation of experimental studies

Answer 5

• Manipulation of IV to measure effect on DV allows us to suggest playing aggressive games causes increase in aggressive behaviour
  BUT
• Lack mundane realism (eg. No fear of retaliation)

Question 6

Evaluation of correlational studies

Answer 6

• Useful starting point to establish association
  BUT
• Hard to establish directionality (eg. Socialisation hypothesis v selection hypothesis)

Question 7

Evaluation of longitudinal studies

Answer 7

• Developmental insights (eg. Capture changes, identify critical periods, track cumulative exposure)
  BUT
• Retention bias (eg. Aggressive p’s more likely to drop out)

Question 8

Evaluation of meta-analysis

Answer 8

• Combines data, allowing consistent findings to emerge, inc generalisability
  BUT
• Publication bias (positive effects more likely to be published)

Question 9

Desensitisation

Answer 9

Regular exposure to aggressive media, reducing normal physiological response to aggressive stimuli (habituation)

Question 10

Disinhibition

Answer 10

Aggression in media is often romanticised, appearing socially acceptable, creating new social norms as aggression is no longer viewed as antisocial and harmful

Question 11

Cognitive priming

Answer 11

Aggressive media acts as a script for how to behave which is stored in memory. Exposure to aggressive stimuli in a similar context can trigger the memory, leading to reproduction of aggressive behaviour

Question 12

Strengths of media influences

Answer 12

• Research supporting desensitisation (eg. Krahe found habitual viewers of violent media showed lower physiological arousal while viewing violent content and delivered louder white noise to confederates)
• Disinhibition explains why aggression more likely when consequences withheld (eg. Goranson found p’s who watched boxing match film with non-fatal ending showed higher aggression)

Question 13

Limitations of media influences

Answer 13

• Alternative explanation for desensitisation (eg. Kestenbaum found engaging in aggressive activities often reduced aggressive behaviour, supporting catharsis explanation)
• Confounding role of complexity (eg. Zendle found p’s exposed to more complex games displayed more aggression)