Media influences on aggression

Question 1

What are media influences on aggression?

Answer 1

Changes in behaviour that are attributed to exposure to media such as TV and computer games

Question 2

Who were Bjorkqvist’s participants?

Answer 2

Finnish children aged 5-6

Question 3

What were the two conditions in Bjorkqvist’s study?

Answer 3

Children who watched violent films, and children who watched non-violent films

Question 4

What did Bjorkqvist observe?

Answer 4

He observed more aggressive behaviour (e.g. hitting other children) in those who
had watched the violent film

Question 5

Why is research into the effect of violent video games still in relative infancy?

Answer 5

As computer games are a relatively new invention

Question 6

Why will video games have a greater effect on aggression than tv shows + films/

Answer 6

Because the individual isn’t passive + they get rewarded for violence

Question 7

What did the longitudinal study of media influences on aggression find?

Answer 7

That children aged between 7 and 9 who were exposed to violent video games became more verbally and physically aggressive, and less prosocial

Question 8

What are the 4 AO3 points of the media influences on aggression?

Answer 8

1) Failure to consider other causal variables
2) Research support
3) Issues with the methodology of lab studies into aggression
4) Game difficulty may lead to aggression

Question 9

What did one psychologist argue that research into the media influences on aggression has failed to control?

Answer 9

Variables that are known to influence aggression

Question 10

What did a meta analysis into media influences on aggression identify as the 3 main confounding variables?

Answer 10

Trait aggression, family violence and mental health

Question 11

In the laboratory study that supports the role of media in aggression, what were the 2 types of video game?

Answer 11

A violent shooting game and a non-violent golf game

Question 12

In the laboratory study that supports the role of media in aggression, what was the measure of aggression?

Answer 12

Amount of decibels sent to opponents

Question 13

What did DeLisi find?

Answer 13

A positive correlation between characteristics of aggressive behaviour and time spent playing violent video games

Question 14

What did DeLisi declare?

Answer 14

An epidemical health concern

Question 15

Why are lab studies bad when measuring aggression?

Answer 15

They cannot experimentally manipulate ‘real aggression’ so have to produce artificial measures

Question 16

Give two examples of artificial measures of aggression.

Answer 16

Administering noise blasts, or giving hot sauce to other participants

Question 17

Why may longitudinal studies be better measures of aggression than lab studies?

Answer 17

Real life aggression can be observed + short term and long term effects can be measured

Question 18

What may cause aggressive responses after playing violent video games that isn’t the content?

Answer 18

The player’s experience of failure and frustration

Question 19

In the study looking at the effect of game difficult on aggression, what 2 things were found to have little effect on aggression in violent + non-violent games?

Answer 19

Storyline and imagery

Question 20

In the study looking at the effect of game difficult on aggression, what 2 things were found to have a big effect on aggression in violent?

Answer 20

Lack of mastery and difficulty in completing the game