Week 9

Question 1

Social Cognitive Theory

Answer 1

Theory of learning through interaction with the environment that involves reciprocal causation of behavior

Question 2

General Aggression Model

Answer 2

Enactment of aggression is largely based on knowledge structures (scripts, schemas) created by social learning processes

Question 3

Catharsis (also called sublimation)

Answer 3

The idea that viewing mediated aggression satiates (reduces) people’s natural aggressive drives
no longer accepted- aggression is learned not innate

Question 4

Imitation

Answer 4

Direct mechanical reproduction of behavior

Question 5

Identification

Answer 5

a special form of imitation that springs from wanting to be and trying to be like an observed model relative to broader characteristics/qualities
-more lasting and significant of media effects

Question 6

When does imitative learning occur

Answer 6

-observers are motivated to learn
-cues/elements of behaviors to be learned were present
-performed given behaviors
-one is positively reinforced for imitating those behaviors

Question 7

Operant (traditional) learning theory

Answer 7

people learn new behaviors when presented with stimuli, they make a response to those stimuli, and the response is reinforced

-new behaviors are learned and added to their behavioral repertoire

Question 8

Modeling

Answer 8

efficient way to learn a range of behaviors that we wouldn’t experience

Question 9

Basis of social cognitive theory

Answer 9

Things experienced in your environment (mass media) can affect people’s behavior and the effect is influenced by personal factors of the individual and situation

Question 10

Social cognition through media representation

Answer 10

1. Observational Learning
2. Inhibitory Effects
3. Disinhibitory Effects

Question 11

Observational Learning

Answer 11

Consumers can acquire new patterns of behavior by watching such representation

Question 12

Inhibitory Effects

Answer 12

Seeing a model representation punished for exhibiting a certain behavior decreases likelihood that observers will make that behavior

Question 13

Disinhibitory Effects

Answer 13

Media representation of reward for prohibited/threatening behavior increased the likelihood that consumers of the representation will make that behavior

Question 14

Vicarious Reinforcement

Answer 14

Reinforcement that is observed but not directly experienced
-tells us where to place observationally learned behavior is in our behavioral hierarchy

Question 15

Reinforcement contingencies

Answer 15

The value (positive/negative) associated with a given reinforcer

Question 16

Behavioral Hierarchy

Answer 16

likelihood of choosing a behavior in a given situation

Question 17

Social prompting

Answer 17

demonstrating previously learned behavior that is socially acceptable

Question 18

Aggressive Cues

Answer 18

Cues in media tell viewers when and against whom violence is acceptable

-people who see mediated violence subsequently show higher aggression levels

Question 19

Cognitive neoassociatonistic perspective

Answer 19

Frequent viewers of violent media prime constructs (hostility for example) making them more likely to be used in behavioral decisions

Question 20

1. reward/punishment

Answer 20

rewarded aggression is more frequently modeled (disinhibitory), while punished aggression is less frequently modeled (inhibitory)

Question 21

7 contextual variables

Answer 21

1. reward/punishment
2. consequences
3. motive
4. realism
5. humor
   6.identification with media characters
   7.arousal

Question 22

2. consequences

Answer 22

mediated violence accompanied by portrayals of negative/harmful consequences produces less modeling (inhibitory)

Question 23

3. motive

Answer 23

Motivated media aggression increases level of modeling while unjustifiable violence decreases viewer aggression

Question 24

4. realism

Answer 24

Realistic media violence produces more real world aggression

Question 25

5. humor

Answer 25

humorously presented media violence leads to greater possibility of viewers behaving aggressively in real life

Question 26

6. identification with media characters

Answer 26

The more viewers identify with the medias characters the more they will model the behaviors demonstrated

Question 27

7. arousal

Answer 27

arousal and emotional attachment to violent characters are likely to result in aggressive behavior

Question 28

Active theory

Answer 28

viewers (children specifically for violent viewing) actively and consciously work to understand television content

Question 29

Viewing schema

Answer 29

developed at 2 1/2, allows comprehension of specific tv content conventions

Question 30

active audience theories

Answer 30

average audience members can routinely resist influence of media content and make it serve their own purpose

Question 31

Downward Spiral model

Answer 31

individuals tend to seek out violent media that is constant with their aggressive tendencies which reinforced those tendencies

Question 32

Developmental perspective

Answer 32

learning from media specifies different intellectual and communication stages in a child's life that influence the nature of media interaction and impact -age impacts understanding of media content

Question 33

Videogame violence

Answer 33

players interact in the violence and not just viewers of it -rehearsal of behaviors increase the amount of modeling

Question 34

Weapons effect

Answer 34

highly realistic guns in VG increases realism

Question 35

Similarity identification

Answer 35

observer identification with a character because they share salient characteristics (typically present in social cognitive theory)

Question 36

Wishful identification

Answer 36

observer desire to emulate the character ( as a role model for future action) or to (imitate specific behaviors)

Question 37

Strengths of Developmental Perspective

Answer 37

1. provides an age-based perspective on media effects 2.respects children as competent self-aware media consumers 3.offers evidence of eventual reduction of harmful effects and increase in positive media influence

Question 38

Weaknesses of Developmental Perspective

Answer 38

1. misused to state as children grow up negative effects decline 2. Overestimated children's confidence and self-awareness as media consumers 3. doesn't appreciate role media use has in disrupting/ influencing development

Question 39

Social Cognitive Theory Strengths

Answer 39

1. Causal link with media and behavior 2. Applicable to several viewing and viewer situations 3. Has strong explanatory power (rejects catharsis and shows the importance of context cues and environment)

Question 40

Social Cognitive Theory Weaknesses

Answer 40

1. Had demonstration decrease generalization (ex.validity) 2. Experimental design overestimates medias power 3. Doesn't explain long-term effects of media consumption 4. Underestimates individuals active use of media messages 5. Too narrowly focused on individual effects and not cultural effects

Question 41

Cultivation Theory

Answer 41

TV is a message system that cultivates a worldview that becomes reality

Question 42

Ice-age analogy by Gerbner

Answer 42

relatively small persuasive influence makes a crucial difference

Question 43

4 step process to demonstrate TV as a culturally influential medium

Answer 43

1. Message system analysis (detailed content analysis) 2. Formulation of questions about viewers social realities 3. Survey audience 4. Compare social realities of light and heavy viewers

Question 44

Cultivation occurs in two ways

Answer 44

1. mainstreaming 2. resonance

Question 45

Mainstreaming

Answer 45

(heavy viewers especially) TV symbols dominate other sources of information and ideas about the world

Question 46

Resonance

Answer 46

Viewers see things on TV that are consistent/congruent with their own lives and everyday realities

Question 47

Mainstreaming manifests in two ways

Answer 47

1. First order cultivation effects: viewers estimate an occurrence of a phenomenon, making judgments about the world 2. Second order cultivation effects: attitudes and beliefs formed as a result of that judgment

Question 48

3 B's of TV

Answer 48

TV blurs traditional distinctions of peoples view on the world TV blends realities TV blends the mainstream to institutional interests of TV and its sponsors

Question 49

Cultivation Analysis Strengths

Answer 49

1. Combines macro and micro level theories 2. provides detailed explanations of TV's unique role as a storytelling system 3. Enables empirical study of humanistic assumptions 4. redefines effects as more than observable behavior change 5.links media effects to genre specific content 6. sees media as important for storytelling and links it to important effects

Question 50

Cultivation Analysis Weaknesses

Answer 50

1. Early research had methodological limits 2. assumes homogeneity (similarity) of tv content and embedded worldview 3. initially focused on heavy tv users 4.