media influences Flashcards
desensitisation AO1
Media violence –> aggression
TIB it removes aggressive responces (sympathetic stress response; incr HR, higher BP) normally associated w/ the behaviour.
Evolutionists argue purpose of stress response is to inhibit risky behaviour // to motivate an individual to avoid aggressive environments.
Desensitisation Theory suggests when people repeatedly play violent video games they become habitutated + their emotional, physiological + cognitive response is reduced. ∴ regular violent ‘gamers’ aggressive behaviour as less risky .:. incr likelihood they will engage in the behaviour themselves // less likely to avoid aggressive situations.
related research into desensitisation
BARTHOLOW 2007 → Found reduced brain response in gamers
TS brain has been habituated to violence, ∴they have lower levels of arousal
Can’t establish C+E → gamers may be attracted for gaming for arousal due to low levels prior
however…
CARNAGEY 2007 →randomly allocated pts to play a violent // non-violent video game, those who played violent game had lower physiological response while watching the film v.s. pts who played the non-violent game.
TS the model as playing the violent game habituated pts to violence ∴ lowing their arousal response when presented with the violent stimulus (movie)
BUT only in the sort term
But…
ANDERSON META-ANALYSIS
→ found playing violent video games incr aggressive behavior in kids + young adults. Also, exposure to violent video games incr physiological arousal + aggression-related thoughts + feelings. Playing violent video games also decr pro-social behavior
TDNS theory as it shows exposure to video games increases physiological arousal in the long term.
More trust worthy than Carnagey as it is a meta analysis but this supports the cognitive priming theory
cognitive priming AO1
SHORT TERM: exposure to violent media activates/primes thoughts + ideas about violence. ∴ activate related aggressive thoughts // ideas (nodes) via neural links (spreading activation). This primes the person to be more aggressive. Both intensity + amount of elapsed time from the moment of activation determine the strength + duration of priming effect.
LONG TERM: Frequent activation through prolonged exposure to violence reduces activation threshold
BUSHMAN 1998 (cog priming)
SAMPLE: 200 m/f psychology undergraduates
IV: Aggressive // non aggressive film
DV: aggressiveness of associated word.
METHOD: 200 judges rate a list of homonyms for level of aggressiveness. pts then watched a 15 clip of a violent video scene // non violent (controlled for level of interest). Pts then told to complete a word association task w/ homonyms + some non-aggressive words as fast as possible. Independent + blinded observers rated the associations for the level of aggression.
RESULTS: Those who watched aggressive films gave more aggressive associations. Men listed more aggressive words than women. There was no impact of the films on associations with non-aggressive words.
TS CP as it shows those who watched aggressive films listed more aggressive words during word association when hearing a neutral word as pts brains primed to think aggressively
TS: men have prolonged exposure to aggressive acts as generally watch more aggressive films // play violent video games, forming pre-existing priming networks. ∴ lowering activation threshold for those networks + causing them to more readily associate neutral words w/ aggressive words
related research into cognitive priming
ANDERSON META-ANALYSIS → playing violent video games incr aggressive behavior in kids + young adults. Experimental + non-experimental studies w/ m + f in laboratory + field settings support this conclusion. Also, exposure to violent video games incr physiological arousal + aggression-related thoughts + feelings but decr pro-social behavior
TS CP bc exposure to violent video games incr physiological arousal + aggression related thoughts / feelings, as it primes brain to think aggressively
ROBERTSON 2013 → amount of TV watching predicted violence in adulthood.
TS length of time watching TV in general was a predictor of aggressive behaviour later on in life ∴ going against the CP, as according to CP, it should be specific to what is being primed.
GENDER? cog priming
–> 85% of violent crime committed by men…
difference in gender: men have prolonged exposure to aggressive acts as they generally watch more aggressive films // play violent video games, forming pre-existing priming networks. .;. lowering the activation threshold for those networks + causing them to more readily associate neutral words w/ aggressive words BUT gender differences pre existed as far back as the Roman’s, media influences have only been around for the last hundred years. TS there is a biological basis for explaining agression
disinhibition AO1
Normal checks that inhibit aggressive action reduced // removed.
3 PROCESSES
1. Normal aggression held in check by social norms. In a video game // film norms more aggressive + people rewarded for serious aggression → normalises aggression + reduces inhibition.
2. Anonymity (ACCOUNTABILITY) + invisibility (similar to deindividualisation) - responsibility of person perceived to be reduced bc anonymity is perceived to be assured.
3. Solipsistic introjections (taken over by alter ego) → feeling of being cognitive merged w/ character / actor. Occurs when an alter ego is selected by gamer + who then behaves as if they are the character.
related research into disinhibition
MOORE 2012 → Anonymity incr chances of aggressive ‘attacker’ post on forums + lack of anonymity incr chances of a ‘defender’ post on a forum.
TS theory as anonymity incr aggressive attacks, TIB reduced self-regulation
IMPLICATIONS→ tie online profiles to ID like china
→ no websites w/ anonymity – ASK.fm suicides
ROBERTSON 2013
SAMPLE: 1037 New Zealand kids born in 1972
IV: TV viewing hours until 26 y/o
DV: convictions for aggressive actions, diagnosis of antisocial personality
METHOD: Measured TV viewing in regular intervals + content of TV programmes.
RESULTS:
1. Time spent watching TV predicted violence in adulthood.
2. Incr TV hours incr chances of antisocial personality diagnosis
3. Amount of TV watched was predictor not the level of violence in TV
This may be bc of isolating facors + lack of social interations
TDNS theory bc against idea of media normalising violence
