Media Influences: Computer Games Evaluation

Question 1

LIMITATION: Measures of aggression are artificial

Answer 1

• Taylor Competitive Time Task measures aggression as the volume of noise selected by participants as punishment - an unrealistic measure
• Aggression measures in lab situations are also unrealistic as they do not involve retaliation- pps can be safely aggressive
• casts doubt on the validity of experimental studies and in the link between media violence and aggression.

Question 2

LIMITATION: correlations cannot draw cause and effect conclusions

Answer 2

• No variables are manipulated or controlled and there is random allocation of participants to violent or non violent media conditions
• A positive correlation between violent computer games and aggression can be explained by socialisation (violent games cause ppl to be aggressive) or selection (ppl who are already aggressive choose violent games)
• Direction of causality cannot be settled by correlational studies, leaving us the question of exactly how computer games influence aggression.

Question 3

LIMITATION: Longitudinal studies have cofounding variables

Answer 3

• Longitudinal studies are conducted over lengthy periods of time
• Many sources of aggression interact with media influences over this period. It is difficult to separate them and assess contributions to aggressive behaviour.
• Therefore it is impossible to conclude that it is violent media such as computer games that have affected aggression