Agression Flashcards
Williams research into the impact of media on aggression.
1986
-Observed playground children for aggression.
- before and after television was introduced in a rural Canadian town.
-increase in verbal and physical aggression.
-shows aggressive symbolic role models - led to imitation of behviour.
Carnagey and Anderson impact of video games on aggression
2007
-Participants played either violent or non-violent video games.
-20 mins later watched 10 min video of real world violence.
-galvanic skin response and heart rate lower for those who had watched violent computer games.
-Suggests exposure to violent video games has physiologically desensitized players to violent industry.
Berkowitz and Powers, research on affect of watching aggressive TV.
1979
-males watched aggressive scene from TV show + given a summary of the show.
-pts given summary that justified violence were most aggressive to confederate in follow up task.
-viewing aggression along with justification created a disinhibited aggressive response in viewers.
Murray - Media and aggression - Brain scan
2006
-8 children fmri scanned whilst watching violent or non-violent sequences.
-range of areas activated only to violent videos.
-Murray suggest viewers see violence as real - due to amygdala activation and are cognitively primed as aggressive scripts are being stored in posterior cingulate - area associated with LTM storage.
What does SLT suggest about media influences on aggression?
-identification with an attractive but violent hero. (symbolic model)
-increases likely hood of aggression being imitated.
-Learns via vicarious learning - aggression solves problems - person gets rewarded.
What is the affect of media aggression viewers on moral decision making process?
-It can be socialized by media aggression.
-When violence is justified then viewers believe that violence is correct response to being wronged.
What is the argument that playing video games increases aggression?
-May provide an even more extreme effect of aggression.
-Players don’t just watch - actively control avatar in situation where aggression is the only way to progress.
-use of aggression positively reinforced in video games - get rewarded for it (operant conditioning)
What is the argument that playing video games decreases aggression?
-May reduce real aggression.
-Provide catharsis - feeling of relief - releasing negative emotions - like anger and stress.
How does Desensitisation affect aggression?
-Usually when people see results of extreme aggression - feel disgust, anxiety or discomfort.
-Thus people void aggression to avoid these unpleasant feelings.
-repeated exposure - extreme aggression desensitizes - reduced strong reaction to it.
-potentially makes it easier to be extremely aggressive.
How does disinhibition affect aggression?
-Aggressive impulsive are often inhibited - people have a strong desire not to be aggressive.
-Inhibition comes from socialisation - taught from young age - aggression is wrong.
-repeated exposure to justified aggression in media + aggressive acts in video games.
-disinhibits avoidance of aggression in real life.
How does cognitive priming affect aggression?
-Mental scripts and schema for how to respond in certain situations.
-Learn schemas from tv and computer games.
-e.g. hero acts aggressively when threatened.
-These become cues or priming stimuli.
-when exposed to cues in real world in similar context - we react aggressively.
Evaluation
How has aggression in the western world changed since the rise of video games in the 1980s?
-real life aggression in the streets decreased since.
-Thus video games causing aggression in real world lacks validity.
-However, may be due to differences in how young men spend their time.
-More time indoors due to gaming - thus less violence in streets.
Kestenbuam evaluation research study into affect of video games of violence?
1985
-self-reports form young males
-Reported that when ‘wound up’ felt more ‘relaxed after playing’.
-Releasing negative emotions in video games reduces real world violence - provides catharsis - outlet for aggressive emotions.
Research studies into viewing habits as children compared to aggression when older.
-Show correlation.
-however, its likely that people who are aggressive will pick out more aggressive media to watch and play.
Application of psychological research into links between aggression and media?
-Used to inform policy and age rating of games.
-Can help make sure certain games are banned.
Neural explanations for aggression:
What are neural mechanisms?
-Related to the neuron such as large neural structures or the actions of neurotransmitters.
Hormonal explanations for aggression:
What are hormonal mechanisms?
-how chemical messengers influence the body.
What is the limbic system?
A set of neural structures located at the centre of the brain.
-The amygdala and the hypothalamus are key to aggressive responses.
-one of it’s functions is to process emotional responses.
role of Serotonin in aggressive response?
-inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning it reduces neural activity.
-important to calm and control aggressive impulses.
-Serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex controls/dampens aggressive impulses coming from areas of limbic system - (amygdala, hypothalamus).
-maintains stable calm mood.
role of testosterone in aggressive response?
-male sex hormone/androgen
-Found at higher levels in males, thought to be reponsible for their increased aggression.
-8 times higher in men than women.
-thought to be reason for sex difference in aggression.
Role of the amygdala?
Role of the hypothalamus?
-integrates and expresses emotional response - can trigger aggressive behavior as part of fight or flight response.
Role of the orbitofrontal cortex?
-external layer of brain
-controls executive function (decision making)
-communicates with amygdala and hypothalamus.
-trie to control aggression.
Evaluations of the limbic system
EGGER ANF FLYNN (1963)
+showed that stimulating hypothalamus would cause cats to behave more aggressively to rats - suggest hypothalamus has role in producing aggressive behavior.
+Stimulating different parts of amygdala - increase or decrease aggressive behavior - suggests amygdala’s role in regulation of aggressive behavior.
-However - on cats - not generalisable.
SUMMER (2007)
case study - extremely aggressive 14 year old girl who was having epileptic fits.
+MRI scan revealed tumor pressing on amygdala.
+After removal aggression levels became normal.
+Suggests tumor was stimulating amygdala - supporting that amygdala is linked to regulating aggression.
-However - case study - experience of one person - could have been other factors causing aggressive behavior.
What is the Serotonin deficiency hypothesis of aggressive behavior?
-lower than norm levels of serotonin in orbitofrontal cortex - result in less self control over Limbic systems aggressive impulses.
-shown by lower levels of 5-HIAA (bi-product or serotonin breakdown) in spinal fluid of more aggressive people.
-However, complex - individuals with the short variant of it MAOA struggle to break down serotonin - have higher levels - but are more aggressive.
Research Evaluations of serotonin’s affect on aggression?
Passamonti (2012):
-Tryptophan - food needed by body to produce serotonin.
-Study used technique called acute tryptophan depletion (avoiding foods containing tryptophan)
-reduced amount of serotonin in brain of participants
-Researches measured brains response to seeing angry/neutral faces using FMRI.
-results showed reduced communication between amygdala and frontal cortex when low levels of serotonin.
-participants scored hoigh on aggression questionaire.
-Suggests low serotonin reduces the frontal cortex’s ability to control aggressive impulses in the amygdala.
Evaluation of Passamonti (2012) (Serotonin)
+Randomised, double blind placebo controlled method.
+Data analyzed was from FMRI scans.
+Use of highly scientific measurements suggests high validity.
-However, use of questionnaire - not truly measuring aggression levels.
affect of testosterone on orbitofrontal cortex?
-High levels of testosterone in orbitofrontal cortex reduce activity.
-Means cortex is less able to regulate aggressive impulses coming from the limbic system.
-Result - less self control and aggressive response to stimuli.
Effect of testosterone on:
a) Amygdala
b) Seretonin
a) testosterone increases activity in the amygdala - results in more aggressive impulses.
b) reduce activity or serotonin, limiting is ability to calm aggressive impulses.
Research Evaluations of testosterone’s affect on aggression?
Wagner (1980):
-Measured aggression in mice based on how often the bit a target.
-Males bit more frequently than females.
-However, sex difference disappeared after castration of male mice and reappeared when male mice were injected with testosterone.
-Suggest level of testosterone hormone in mice is directly connected to expression of aggression.
Neural and hormonal mechanism in aggression evaluation: reductionism.
-Idea that someone aggressive behavior is completely down to their biological make-up is reductionist
-Although process may lead to effective biological interventions to reduce aggression - unlikely to be full explanation.
-Biology may produce emotional trigger - however whether or not person acts of emotions may be down to social psychological factors (SLT).
