The link between the media and violence

Question 1

How many screen murders had American’s aged 18 seen?

Answer 1

40,000

Question 2

The effects approach

Answer 2

• The audience is passive

- Hypodermic syringe

Question 3

The Bandura experiment

Answer 3

The study found that the children exposed to the aggressive models were more likely to act in physically aggressive ways than those not exposed

Question 4

How can the Bandura experiment be critisised?

Answer 4

• Lab experiment

- Unethical

Question 5

James Bulger and Bandura

Answer 5

• Links to the HSM as people see something on screen and then copy the behaviour
• The two watched child’s play and copied the film when murdering James

Question 6

Alternative explanation for the murderers of James Bulger?

Answer 6

Poor socialisation - violent parents = violence was a norm

Question 7

Elizabeth Newson

Answer 7

• James Bulger investigator-
  Concluded that sadistic images were too easily available and young people are becoming desensitised, socialised to accept it as a norm
• Cultural effects

Question 8

McCabe and Martin

Answer 8

Concluded that media violence has a disinhabilition effect, convincing children that in some situations ‘normal rules’ can be suspended

Question 9

Evaluation of effects approach

Answer 9

:) shows power of media and watershed suggests there must be an element of truth
X Assumes audiences are passive
X Ignores role of socialisation
X Scapegoats the media by blaming video games

Question 10

Peak and Fisher

Answer 10

Argue TV is not to blame for violence and crime, tv is used as a scapegoat for deep rooted problems
- The HDS model focuses entirely on media content as the scapegoat for societies ills e.g. antisocial behaviour

Question 11

Sees the audience as = active and diverse

Answer 11

• Uses and gratifications = Blumer and McQuail
  Thrill = violence can be cathartic
• SFM = Klapper
  We can reject, don’t remember the same thing
• Structured interpretation = Morley
  We can disagree wit the message

Question 12

Jock Young

Answer 12

Argues seeing the effects of violence (e.g. suffering of victims families) make us more aware of it\s consequences = less violent acts

Question 13

Catharsis

Answer 13

Can be argued that screen violence can provide a safe outlet for people’s aggressive tendencies

Question 14

Example of Catharsis - Fesbach and Sanger

Answer 14

• 2 groups of 16 year olds - one exposed to violent films for 6 weeks, the other non0violent
• The ones who saw violence actually had less violent tendencies = media can be cathartic and can release aggression in a virtual world

Question 15

Cumberbatch

Answer 15

• Looked over 3,500 research studies

- Concluded that there is no conclusive evidence that violence shown in the media changes people’s behaviour