media influence - effects of tv + games

• excessive tv viewing (robertson et al):

  • measured viewing hours in >1000 new zealanders at regular intervals up to 26
  • time spent watching in childhood + adolescence = reliable predictor of aggression in adulthood (criminal convictions)
  • excessive viewing associated with reduced social interaction + educational achievement
• violent film content (bandura):

  • replicated study, watched film of doll being beaten by model - similar outcome, aggression imitated
  • same findings when cartoon version used
• computer games:

  • have more powerful effects because player takes more active role
  • games more directly rewarding for player (operant conditioning)
  • frustration from losing
• computer games lab experiment (bartholow + anderson):

  • students played either violent or non violent game for 10 minutes
  • carried out TCRTT, students delivered blasts of white noise at chosen volumes to punish non existent opponent
  • violent game = higher noise levels
• computer games correlational studies (delisi):

  • 227 juvenile offenders (history of serious aggression) interviewed about aggression + violent game playing
  • aggression correlated with how often they played + enjoyment
• EVALUATION: lack of support

  • ferguson + kilburn - where aggression was measured, relationship between media violence exposure + aggression almost 0
  • przybylski - relationship between violent game exposure + aggression in british teenagers, no link
  • link is not that strong
• EVALUATION: methodological problems

  • experimental studies have high control but measurement artificial e.g TCRTT
  • longitudinal research may have more realism but also problematic - cvs, many sources of interactions with media
  • better methodologies needed for firm conclusion