media influences

• what is physiological explanation?

  desensitisation
• describe the physiological response to aggression

  • watching aggression activates sympathetic nervous system and fight or flight response
  • adrenaline is released creating physiological arousal
  • symptoms such as increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, sweating, dilation of pupils present
  • arousal unpleasant emotion (anxiety) and as a result aggression is avoided as it is seen as aversive and unacceptable
• how does desensitisation disrupt this physiological response

  • aggression repeatedly observed (media/games) over long period of time
  • desensitised
  • physiological arousal levels decrease when aggression viewed
  • more acceptance of aggressive behaviour as norm
  • more likely to occur as less inhibitions
• what is the social explanation

  disinhibition
• how does society limit aggression?

  • norms and expectations act to inhibit aggressive behaviour
  • as not considered acceptable
  • risk rejection (conformity)
• how does disinhibition reduce impact of society in reducing aggression

  • repetitive viewing of aggression in media/games loosens usula restraints
  • inhibitions are weakened
  • belief that aggression is acceptable/ a norm
  • behaviour is normative and rewardable
  • increased acceptance of the use of aggression
• what is the cognitive explanation


  cognitive priming
• what is the role of cognitive priming

  • watch aggression in media/games
  • priming effect on previously learned behaviours
  • leads to scripts of violent acts (schemas based on experience)
  • readiness to act aggressively
  • in similar situations with similar environmental cues, automatically behave in aggressive way as primed
  • Verbally primed responses produced most by verbal cues (same for visual and behavioural)