Media Influences Of Aggression Flashcards
(8 cards)
How Media is linked to aggression
-It is thought that seeing aggressive media can make us more aggressive.
-If the aggressive media was of someone appealing or attractive to us we are more likely to mimic their aggressive behaviour.
-The observer can also learn vicariously, i.e. someone on TV gets their goal via aggression will teach us that aggression is beneficial.
-Viewers moral decision making process can be influenced by aggressive media.
-Aggressive figures violence can be portrayed as justified when you have been mistreated etc.
Effects of video games on aggression (AO1)
-Aspects of computer games may have a more extreme influence on aggression then other forms of media, i.e film.
-Computer games are far more involving and certain games may make it so you can only progress if you behave aggressively.
-Effective use of aggression is positively reinforced by in game rewards.
-Playing violent videogames could reduce real life aggression as it is a form of catharsis.
Cognitive priming
-We have schemas for how to respond in different situations.
-We can learn these response schemas from the media we consume.
-We may often see a ‘hero’ figure behaving aggressively when confronted with a weapon, this weapon then becomes a ‘priming stimuli.’
-When we ourselves see a priming stimuli in a similar context we will proceed to act aggressively, the same way the ‘hero’ did.
Desensitisation
-Our natural response to extreme aggression is to feel highly anxious, disgusted and/or uncomfortable.
-This makes us avoid aggression in order to avoid these unpleasant feelings.
-As we are more exposed to extreme aggression it makes our unpleasant feelings less severe with each exposure - desensitizing is from aggression.
-This makes it easier for us to be aggressive as it makes us less avoidant of that behaviour due to less intense unpleasant feelings.
Disinhibition
-People typically don’t want to be aggressive and aggressive impulses are typically inhibited.
-This inhibition of aggressive impulses comes from socialising (i.e how we are raised - people will look down on us for behaving aggressively).
-If we are exposed to consistent justified aggression in the media or constantly acting out justified violence in video games, we begin to lose our avoidance of aggressive behaviours. (i.e. our aggressive impulses are disinhibited because we perceive it as justified).
Williams(AO3)
-Williams studied child behaviours in the playground before and after television was introduced in a small town.
-She found after television was brought in that both verbal and physical aggressive behaviours became more common in the playground.
-This suggests that when we view aggressive models we are more likely to act aggressively ourselves.
Media influence in aggression(AO3)
-Lack of face validity. Since the 80s violent crime has gone down significantly, whilst videogame graphics and aggressive media has become more common. This suggests that videogames and aggression aren’t positively correlated and lacks face validity.
COUNTER: Less violent crime may be due to how human behaviour has changed, i.e men are spending more time at home playing videogames making them less likely to run into a real world aggressive encounter.
Disinhibition(AO3)
+Berkowitz and powers
-Had participants watch the same violent film and then would give them summaries on what occurred in the film.
-Participants were given different tweaks of the summary to make the aggression appear justified or unjustified.
-They found those who were given the justified summary were more likely to be aggressive to a confederate in a follow up task.
-This suggests viewing aggression alongside justification created a disinhibited aggressive response (when we feel our aggression is justified).
