Underlying Mechanisms

Question 1

Desensitisation

Answer 1

Reduced sensivity to stim - reduced response makes agg more likely
Violent experiences = psychological arousal associated with sympathetic ns
Such as increases heart rate/sweaty when not desentisded

When kids view agg on tv consistently they become used to its effects
Anxiety becomes lower

Repeated exposure to violent media promotes belief that using agg as a menthol of resolving conflict is socially acceptable.

Question 2

Desensitisation research

Answer 2

Weis + earls
Lab study of rape scene then reenactment
Male viewers shower greater acceptance of rape myths and sexual aggression and less sympathy
Supports role of desensitisation

Question 3

Research support desensitisation

Answer 3

Weis and earls

Question 4

Disinhibition

Answer 4

Lack of restraint, due to overexposure to stim resulting in socially unacceptable behaviours becoming acceptable so more likely.
Agg beh is often made to appear normative in some media especially if media minimises effect of violence
Creates social norm for viewer

Question 5

Disbinhibtion support

Answer 5

Berkowitz and Alioto (1973) found that participants who saw a film depicting aggression as
vengeance gave more (fake) electric shocks to confederate
Media violence may disinhibit aggressive behaviour if it is presented as justified and socially acceptable

Question 6

Cognitive priming

Answer 6

The way a person thinks is triggered by cues/scripts which primes us to responds in specific way
Watching violent provides script of how to react in certain sits so ready to respond in that way

Rowell huesmann - script is stored in memory so we become ready to be aggressive

Process us mostly automatic - directing behaviour without knowing

Song lyrics - violent = effect on aggressive behaviour Fischer + greitemeyer

Question 7

Limitation cp

Answer 7

Confounding variables
Playing violent games primes violent behaviour, violent games more complex so violent games are confounding variable as harder than non violent
Zendle found priming effects disappeared when controlled complexity In violent games
Contradicts

Question 8

Strength cp

Answer 8

Real world application
Situations = violent depends on how people interpret envioemtnal cues
Bushman and Anderson argue that someone who habitually watches violent media accesses stored scripts easily so more likely to interpret cues
Interventions could reduce agg beh by challenging biases