P3 Section D (Media Influences On Aggression)

Question 1

What was Johnson and Young’s method to support TV influence on aggression

Answer 1

Johnson and Young’s method to support TV influence on aggression was measuring time watching TV and number of aggressive acts among 700 Americans over a 17 year period

Question 2

What did Johnson and Young find to support TV influence of aggression

Answer 2

Johnson and Young found to support TV influence of aggression that those who watched more than 3 hours TV daily by age 14 were 5x more likely to commit aggressive acts between ages 16 and 22

Question 3

What is a strength of Johnson and Young’s longitudinal study to support TV influence of aggression

Answer 3

A strength of Johnson and Young’s longitudinal study to support TV influence of aggression is that the findings remained even when other factors that might’ve played role in developing aggression were controlled

Question 4

What did Huesmann find to support TV influence on aggression

Answer 4

Huessman found to support TV influence on aggression that habitual early exposure to TV violence predicted adult aggression in both genders and this remained when controlling socioeconomic status, intelligence and parenting styles

Question 5

How did Bushman and Huesmann’s meta analysis support all media influence on aggression

Answer 5

Bushman and Huesmann’s meta analysis supported all media influence on aggression as they found in a study of 68,000 ppts, there was significant correlation in length of exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviours, and also that short term effects of violent media were greater for adults and long term effects greater for children

Question 6

How does Bowman and Rotter argue in favour of video games

Answer 6

Bowman and Rotter argue in favour of video games as they said gaming has educational value in creation and can also release stress and aggression in non-destructive ways

Question 7

How does Gentile and Stone support computer games influencing aggression

Answer 7

Gentile and Stone support computer games influencing aggression as they found in a lab study that there was short-term increases in physiological arousal, hostile feelings and aggressive behaviour after playing violent games (more than non-violent)

Question 8

What is a problem with lab studies looking at aggression

Answer 8

A problem with lab studies looking at aggression is that aggressive behaviour cannot be directly studied for ethical reasons (like physical aggression) so alternative indications of aggression must be used

Question 9

How does Ferguson and Killburn go against media influence on aggression

Answer 9

Ferguson and Killburn go against media influence on aggression as they found that if violence to another person was the measure of aggression, then relationship between exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviour is actually zero

Question 10

How does Przybylski criticise violent video games influencing aggression

Answer 10

Przybylski criticises violent video games influencing aggression as he suggested aggressive behaviour is actually due to failing and frustrating events in games rather than the content

Question 11

What are the three explanations for media aggression

Answer 11

the three explanations for media influencing aggression are desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming

Question 12

What is desensitisation explanation for media aggression

Answer 12

desensitisation explanation for aggression is that children repeatedly exposed to violence in media will become habituated to its effects and so physiological arousal and anxiety will reduce as the brain has normalised this negative behaviour

Question 13

How does Funk et al support desensitisation explanation of media aggression

Answer 13

Funk et al supports desensitisation explanation of media aggression as they found repeated exposure to media violence promotes the belief that aggression is socially acceptable and there becomes less empathy towards victims of aggressive behaviour

Question 14

How does Weisz and Earls support desensitisation explanation of media aggression

Answer 14

Weisz and Earls support desensitisation explanation of media aggression as they found ppts who watched violent rape scene would be less likely to find rape defendant guilty in a re-enacted rape trial and would show rape victim less empathy - primarily males - compared to those who didn’t watch the rape scene

Question 15

What are weaknesses of Weisz and Earls’ desensitisation rape trial reenactment study

Answer 15

weaknesses of Weisz and Earls’ desensitisation rape trial reenactment study are that it’s unethical as it clearly lead to desensitisation of ppts and it’s only applicable to males as females didn’t show same results and only students were used in the study so lacks population validity

Question 16

What is disinhibition explanation for media aggression

Answer 16

disinhibition explanation for media aggression is that our normal restraints to aggression are lessened when exposed to media violence, especially when seen by characters we respect and also when computer games reward aggressive acts for the player so creating new norms by positive reinforcement

Question 17

How does Berkowitz and Alioto support disinhibition explanation for media aggression

Answer 17

Berkowitz and Alioto support disinhibition explanation for media aggression as they found those who watched film depicting aggression as means of vengeance gave lengthier electric shocks than a control - suggesting media violence will disinhibit aggressive behaviour if its justified

Question 18

How do lab studies on video games suffer from low mundane realism

Answer 18

lab studies on video games suffer from low mundane realism as artificial tasks and highly controlled conditions so participants may behave more aggressively as there is no risk of retaliation in such environment which is a systematic error

Question 19

How does Bushman and Huesmann’s meta analysis on media influence on aggression lack universality

Answer 19

Bushman and Huesmann’s meta analysis on media influence on aggression lacks universality as there is often publication bias in meta-analyses whereby researchers only include studies that have statistical significance and so there may be a misrepresentation of media influencing aggression

Question 20

What is a positive of research in disinhibition explanation of media aggression

Answer 20

A positive of research in disinhibition explanation of media aggression is that new compassionate and non-violent role models can be used in media and through reciprocal inhibition, children can imitate these positive characters

Question 21

what is cognitive priming explanation for media aggression

Answer 21

Cognitive priming is the idea that when people are exposed to violent media constantly, this activates ideas or thoughts about violence which in turn “prime” other aggressive thoughts through their association in memory pathways