Media influences on aggression

Question 1

What is the socialisation Hypothesis

Answer 1

Exposure to violent media leads to an increased aggresion.

Question 2

What is selection hypothesis ?

Answer 2

Those with aggressive tendencies choose to expose themselves to violent media.

Question 3

What were the findings of Craig Anderson et al (2010) and his evaluation on aggression ?

Answer 3

Found that exposure to violent computer games was associated with increases in aggressive behaviours, thoughts and feelings. Concluded effect of violent game-playing on aggressive behaviour is greater than the effect of smoking to cancer.

Question 4

What is Desensitisation ?
(biological)

Answer 4

Watching violence, stimulatees our limbic system, this in turn activates a feeling of anxiety and increased heart rate. As the brain gets used to high levels of stimulation it will take a higher level of aggresion to create the same leevel of anxiety

Question 5

What is disinhibition ?
(social)

Answer 5

Media normalises violent behaviour and minimises its consequences, so through a process of vicarious reinforecement those exposed to violent media are disinhibited. This creates neew social norms where voilence is seen as acceptable.

Question 6

What is Cognitive priming

Answer 6

Our minds develop schemas based on past experiences, this provides a script for how to act in certain situations. Huesmann (1988) suggests that exposure to violent media “primes” us to be more aggressive when responding to enviromental cues.

Question 7

How does Bugalski & Alampays Ratman study support cognitive priming ?

Answer 7

Participants showed diffrent photos, ! group saw animals, other group ssaw faces, at the end they were both asked to identify Ratman photo. Participants were cognitively primes by the pictures they saw before, whihc led to a certain answer.