media influences on aggression

• some psychologists have suggested that exposure to violent media may lead to aggression
• there are three main mechanisms of media influences on aggression

  • desensitisation - when a person's emotional response to a stimulus diminishes over time with repeated exposure to said stimulus (which could lead to them feeling more ok doing violent behaviours)
  • disinhibition - when behaviour becomes less constrained by social norms due to exposure to violence within the media, making them feel more ok with violent behaviours
  • cognitive priming - when exposure to a stimulus makes thoughts and ideas to do with the stimulus more accessible in the mind