Media Influences

Question 1

Excessive TV Viewing

Answer 1

• Aggressive behaviour may be linked to viewing ‘excessive’ amounts of TV, regardless of whether the content is violent or not
• According to the researchers, excessive time spent watching TV is associated with reduced social interaction and poorer educational achievement – the link between excessive viewing and aggression may be indirect (due to reduced social interaction, etc)

Question 2

Robertson et al (2013)

Answer 2

• Measured the TV viewing hrs of 1037 New Zealanders born in 1972/73 at regular intervals up the age of 26 years
• The researchers found that time spent watching TV in childhood and adolescence was a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour in early adulthood (defined as convictions for aggressive and violent crimes)
• Those who watched the most TV were more likely to be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder

Question 3

Violent Film Content - Bandura et al (1963)

Answer 3

• Replicated their earlier study, except that the children watched a film of the Bobo doll being beaten by an adult model
• The outcome was similar, with children imitating the aggressive behaviour of the model (and also of a cartoon version)
• The SLT processes identified by Bandura operate through media as well as face-to-face

Question 4

Evidence Suggesting TV/Film Effects Aren’t Strong

Answer 4

• Paik and Comstock (1994) carried out a meta-analysis of about 200 studies, and found a significant positive correlation between viewing TV/film violence and antisocial behaviour
• However, they estimated that TV/film violence probably only accounted for between 1 and 10% of the variance in children’s aggressive behaviour, which implies a minor role for TV and film compared with other sources of aggression

Question 5

Computer/Video Games

Answer 5

• There is growing evidence that they may have more powerful effects than traditional screen-based media, which is probably because the players takes a more active role compared to a relatively passive viewer + game-playing is more directly rewarding for the player (operant conditioning)

Question 6

Bartholow & Anderson (2002)

Answer 6

• Used the Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Task (participants deliver blasts of white noise at chosen volumes to punish a non-existent opponent) and found that students who played a violent computer game for 10 minutes (Mortal Kombat) selected significantly higher volumes of white noise (5.97 decibels) than students who played a non-violent golfing game (PGA Tour) (4.6 decibels)

Question 7

DeLisi et al (2013)

Answer 7

• Studied 277 juvenile offenders with serious aggressive behaviours such as hitting a teacher/parent/gang fighting
• Using unstructured interviews, they gathered data on several measures of aggression and on violent computer game-playing
• They found that the offenders aggressive behaviour was significantly correlated with how often they played violent computer games and how much they enjoyed them
• They argued that aggression should be a public health issue like HIV/AIDS

Question 8

Evaluation - Aggression is defined in various ways

Answer 8

• The dependent variables in these studies are violent behaviour (DeLisi et al), volume of white noise blasted at an opponent (Bartholow and Anderson), and criminal convictions (Robertson et al)
• However, violence and aggression are not exactly the same behaviour – all violence is aggression, but not all aggression is violence and not all aggression/violence is necessarily criminal
• The effects found in studies depend very much on how aggression is defined – this variation in definitions means that the findings are hard to compare

Question 9

Evaluation - Meta-analyses can help overcome this problem

Answer 9

• Anderson et al (2010) conducted a meta-analysis which included 136 studies defining aggression in different ways
• The researchers found that exposure to violent computer games was associated with increases in all outcome measures of aggression, for both women and men + the higher quality studies showed an even greater significant effect
• Meta-analyses that include various definitions of aggression are a valid method for uncovering the effects of media on aggression

Question 10

Evaluation - This research area is plagued by unsupported conclusions

Answer 10

• Many research studies are methodologically weak (confounding variables, poor sampling methods), including meta-analyses through the basis of GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out)
• Firstly, if poor quality studies are included, the analysis will also be poor-quality
• Secondly, many studies are correlational so cause-and-effect conclusions are unjustified
• Thirdly, experimental studies lack external validity (unrealistic measures of aggression), so findings cannot be generalised to the real world
• Some researchers may be guilty of drawing premature conclusions based on findings that lack validity