desensitisation, disinhibition, cognitive imprinting

Question 1

what is desensitation

Answer 1

reduced sensitivity to stimulus
- can be psychological (e.g. less emotional)/physiological (e.g. lowered heart rate)

stimulus (e.g., violent media), that is usually aversive = has lesser impact, reduced anxiety/arousal on repeated viewing/playing

Question 2

how is desensitisation explain aggression

Answer 2

funk et al
- negative attitudes towards violence weaken, less empathy felt for victims, injuries minimised/dismissed

repeated exposure to violent media = promote belief that using aggression is socially acceptable method of resolving conflict

Question 3

study displaying desensitisation effects

Answer 3

weisz and earls (1995)
- pps shown feature film containing prolonged/graphic rape scene (‘straw dogs’) (control watched non-sexually violent film)
- pps then watched re-enactment of rape trial

pps that watched rape film = greater acceptance of rape myths/sexual aggression, less sympathy for victim, and less likely to find defendant guilty

• film type had no such affect on female pps

Question 4

what is disinhibtion

Answer 4

lack of restraint, can be due to environmental triggers/overexposure to stimulus

= lead to socially unacceptable behaviours becoming acceptable = therefore more likely

Question 5

how can disinhibition explain aggression

Answer 5

violent media = aggression appear normative/socially sanctioned
= emphasise rewards, minimise/ignore consequences

= create new social norms in viewer

Question 6

what is cognitive priming

Answer 6

way person thinks = triggered by cues/scripts that make us ready to respond in specific ways

Question 7

how can cognitive priming explain aggression

Answer 7

repeatedly viewing aggressive media = provide ‘script’ about how violent situations may ‘play out’
= become ready/primed to be aggressive

Question 8

study displaying cognitive priming effects

Answer 8

fischer and greitemeyer (2006)

• men who listened to music ft aggressively derogatory lyrics about women (compared to control who listen to neutral)

= recalled more negative qualities about women/behaved more aggressively toward woman confederate

• procedure replicated with women pps, listening to ‘men-hating’ lyrics = similar results

Question 9

eval of desensitisation explanation

Answer 9

PRO
research support
krahe et al = pps shown violent/non-violent films, skin conductance measured (physical arousal)

• pps who habitually watched violent film clips = lower arousal levels
• • gave louder bursts of white noise to confederate, without provocation

= lower arousal in habitual viewers reflect desensitisation to effects of violence + greater willingness to be aggressive

CON
weisz and earls study - gender differences, perhaps only male-aggression explanation?
= gender biased, alt explanation = cognitive priming
= display same effect in either gender

Question 10

strength of disinhibition explanation

Answer 10

can explain effects of cartoon violence

children = don’t learn specific aggressive behaviours from cartoon (e.g, unrealistic to punch someone in head, so it spins around 360 degrees)
models = instead learn general aggression is socially acceptable
= esp. if cartoon model not punished

= disinhibits aggression = therefore explanation of how cartoon aggression can encourage aggression in viewers

Question 11

strength of cognitive priming explanation

Answer 11

IRL app.

bushman and anderson
= habitual viewers of violent media, access stored aggressive scripts more readily
= more likely to interpret and respond to enviornmental cues aggressively

= suggest interventions could potentially reduce aggressive behaviour by challenging hostile cognitive biases

Further App.
+ awareness of cognitive priming = used to promote prosocial behaviours/attitudes in computer gaming e.g. introducing weaponless combat games/emphasising resolution rather than conflict