Research into media influences

• Two ways in which this is investigated?

  lab studies and correlational studies
• Experimental study? (procedure?)

  • A study was done by Bartholomew and Anderson (2002).
  • Students played a violent computer game or non-violent equivalent for 10 minutes (mortal kombat or PGA Golf).
  • They then carried out the Taylor competitive reaction time task, standardised laboratory measure of aggression. 
  • P’s are led to believe that they are playing a computerised reaction time game against another participant.
  • At the beginning of each round, both p’s set the intensity of a noise blast.
  • They then have to react to a button as quickly as possible.
• Experimental study? (findings?)

  • The loser has to be punished with a noise blast using the intensity settings made by the winner at the beginning of the round.
  • The intensity settings are used as the measure of aggression.
  • Those who played the violent game selected more selected significantly higher noise levels than those who played the golf game (5.97>4.60)
• Positive evaluation of experimental study?

  • One strength of lab research into video games on violence is that they allow to establish a causal link as they have been carried out in controlled conditions so that all extraneous variables can also be controlled like the time playing video games.
  • Cause and effect can be inferred between computer games and aggression
• Artificial nature of the experimental study?

  • Lab experiments are artificial as the measures of the TCRTT are not true to real life.
  • People do not demonstrate aggression through white noise. Lab experiments also do not involve the fear of retaliation like in the real world.
  • P’s are administering white noise blasts or stealing money from an imagined participant.
  • This may reduce ecological validity of lab based research.
  • It would be unethical to use realistic forms of aggression as a measure as we cannot allow confederates to be physically harmed for the purpose of an experiment.
• Demand characteristics criticism of lab experiments?

  • Another criticism is that it is a high risk of demand characteristics, p’s might think that they are supposed to be giving blasts to the opponent regardless of aggression or not.
  • It may lack internal validity as a result
• Correlational study?

  • Delisi et al (2013) studied 227 juvenile offenders who had histories of serious aggressive behaviours like hitting a teacher or their parents.
  • They use structured interviews to gain measures of aggression and computer game playing.
  • They found that juvenile’s aggression positively correlated with how often they played violent video games and their enjoyment of them.
  • Researchers argued the link was well established enough to call video games a major risk factor to aggression, which should be considered a public health issue. 
• Positive evaluation of correlational research?

  • The strength of correlational research is that it allows investigation of realistic aggression without any ethical issues.
  • This is because the IV is not manipulated and is measuring existing co-variables like aggression and game playing.
• negative evaluation regarding cause and effect? (part 1)

  • It is not possible to infer cause and effect as there is an issue of bi-directional ambiguity.
  • It is not clear whether game playing causes aggression or whether violent people prefer playing video games.
  • The direction of the relationship cannot be determined.
• negative evaluation regarding cause and effect? (part 2)

  • Another reason for not being able to infer cause and effect is due to the role of other factors that contribute between gaming and aggression.
  • Ferguson (2009) found that the effects of social media disappeared when other influences like family violence and mental health were taken into account.
  • This suggests that other risk factors may be the primary cause of aggression and violent behaviour.
• General A03 for both correlational and experimental?

  • Researchers argue that aggressive feelings from playing video games can be caused by frustration they cause the participant rather than the violent content.
  • For example, one study found both violent and non violent games, it was lack of mastery that caused frustration and aggression rather than the storyline or imagery.
  • This suggests the link between video games and aggression has been made too simplistic as non-violent games can leave players feeling aggressive if too difficult.
  • This questions the validity of all gaming research.