Media Influences: Desensitisation, Disinhibition and Cognitive Priming

Question 1

LIMITATION: Desensitisation - catharsis may be a better explanation

Answer 1

• Krahé et al failed to find a link between media viewing, lower arousal and reactive aggression
• This may be because catharsis occurred viewing violent media acts as a safety valve allowing participants to release aggressive impulses without behaving violently
• Desensitisation can not explain this, suggests aggression is not the outcome of Desensitisation. Catharsis may be a more valid explanation

Question 2

STRENGTH: Disinhibition research support

Answer 2

• Berkowitz showed a film depicting aggression as vengeance. Pps gave more (fake) shocks to confederate of a longer duration.
• Media Violence may disinhibit aggressiveness when it is justified.
• Adds validity to disinhibition concept as it demonstrates the link between removal of social constraints and subsequent aggressive behaviour

Question 3

STRENGTH: Cognitive priming has useful practical applications

Answer 3

• Understanding how cognitive priming influences aggression can potentially save lives - whether situations break into violence depends on how individuals interpret cues which depends on scripts saved in the memory.
• Bushman and Anderson claim someone who habitually watches violent media accesses stored aggressive scripts more readily and therefore resort to violence
• Raises the possibility that effective interventions could reduce aggressive behaviour by challenging hostile cognitive scripts.